


Mnyama

by CrossingInStyle



Series: The Legend of Mnyama [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Awkward Nudity!, F/M, Fictional African Tribe, Fluff, Imp!Rumple, Now with RESOLVED SEXUAL TENSION!, UST, lord help me, mild violence, tarzan au, woobie!Rumple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-12-13 18:35:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 57,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11765913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossingInStyle/pseuds/CrossingInStyle
Summary: Isabelle Jane French was a carefree child growing up in the wilds of Africa, but an attack by evil men forced her father to send her away to England. Not, however, before she had an incredible encounter with a gorilla troop, and the legendary man-creature, Mnyama.Fifteen years later, Belle hasn't forgotten her roots, or the creature who saved her life, and she's determined to return home and reclaim her life. And when she and Mnyama meet again, she learns that not all legends are what they seem to be.Yes...that's right. This is a Rumbelle Tarzan AU. Please forgive me.





	1. Uzuri

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY...so...yeah...
> 
> This idea popped into my head after a recent watching of Disney's Tarzan. WHY I thought Tarzan needed Rumbelling, I'm not sure. But here we are. This may or may not be too weird for some...lmao.
> 
> A few notes...this fic is loosely based on a combination of Disney's Tarzan, and The Legend of Tarzan starring Alexander Skarsgard. The African tribe featured is completely fictional, and not based off of any real tribe. For that reason, and because I'm not knowledgeable enough about customs and African history, exact details about the tribe, location, and people are left intentionally vague with only Disney-level historical accuracy. All attempts are made, however, to be as respectful as possible. If you see something you don't like, or is too stereotypical, feel free to discuss it with me! All of the Swahili names and words used are real, based off of the internet. 
> 
> TW: In this chapter, there is a brief attempt of sexual assault, but it's avoided. It'll be mentioned again later on, but again only briefly.
> 
> Rating is for future chapters.

**Mnyama** _\- Beast_

**Uzuri** _\- Beauty_

 

“You’re being silly, she has us. Are you saying you want to go back?”

“Of course not! Our work here is important. I’m sorry, Collette. I just can’t help but worry. She’s getting older, she’ll be ten next month, and she’s the only…”

“Only, what, Moe? White child? Do you really think that matters to her?”

“I _meant_ the only _English_ child. I’m happy she’s learning other cultures, I just don’t want her to lose her own.”

“And she won’t! That’s why she has us. What would you do, anyway? Send her to school back home?”

 

Belle couldn’t listen anymore after that, her heart plunging somewhere to the vicinity of her toes. It wasn’t the first time the word “school” had been mentioned between her parents, and they weren’t talking about the school she attended with the other children in the village.

She couldn’t for the _life_ of her figure out what she could possibly learn in an English school that she couldn’t learn right here. Her Papa had shown her brochures of the fancy girl’s schools in England, where her grandmother lived, and they looked positively dreadful. Just a bunch of prissy dolls flouncing about in poofy dresses with gloves and parasols and shoes and… _ugh_.

Belle looked down at the beautiful, brightly colored wrapper tied around her waist, and the shell and tooth necklace resting against her bare chest. Papa had recently begun to urge Mama to make her cover herself more. But why? What need had she to conceal her chest? Women didn’t always cover their breasts, and no one seemed to mind when they didn’t. And at any rate, she still looked exactly like the boys there. She thought of those girls in those pictures and the layers and layers of cloth and shuddered. It must be suffocating!

“Uzuri!”

Belle spun around, rushing to clap a hand over her friend’s mouth. “ _Hush_!” she hissed in the Bantu language. “ _They will hear you_!”

The boy nodded from behind her hand, so she released him with a glare. “ _What are you doing out here Asani?”_

_“What am I doing?”_ he whispered, returning her glare. “ _What are_ you _doing? Sneaking about?”_

Belle heaved a sigh, and grabbed Asani’s arm to drag him farther away from her parent’s hut. Asani was her closest friend, alternately an older brother and possible future mate, if his parents had anything to say about it. Belle was undecided, however. Not whether or not Asani would make a good husband…she was simply undecided about whether she would ever desire to be a _wife_.

_“My father is talking about sending me to England again,”_ she said miserably.

_“You are the smartest girl in the world,”_ Asani said without the slightest trace of insincerity. “ _What could you learn from them?”_

_“Exactly!”_ Belle agreed. “ _Any knowledge they_ do _have that I cannot learn from the Elders, I can learn from books.”_

Asani stopped, turning to Belle and puffing up his small chest. “ _I shall just have to marry you, then. That way, your father cannot send you away.”_

Belle smiled fondly at her friend. “ _We cannot marry, Asani. I do not want to be married! Not yet, at least, maybe not ever!”_

She took off walking again, toward the dark jungle, fists clenched in irritation.

“ _Uzuri!”_ Asani snapped, using the nickname bestowed upon her by Jabali, their tribal leader. It simply meant “beauty,” the same as her real name, and Belle often wished they had come up with a different name for her. Perhaps like Asani’s sister, Aalimah, which meant scholar.

“ _Uzuri!”_ Asani repeated when Belle didn’t stop. _“You are going into the Jungle! Stop! We must not go there at night!”_

_“I am not afraid!”_ Belle declared. “ _I belong here! Here! Not in England!”_

_“But what about the Mnyama?!”_

Belle rolled her eyes. The Mnyama, or “ _Beast”_ was a creature of legend. Some who claimed to have seen it said it was half-man, half-gorilla. Others compared it more closely to a crocodile. No one knew where he came from, or why, and Belle wasn’t convinced that he existed at all. She believed he was just a story told to scare children from venturing into the Jungle at night, just like some of the fairy-tales in her books. Like Rumplestiltskin.

Older boys in their village would challenge one another to go into the Jungle in the dead of night to prove their manhood. Belle didn’t need to prove any manhood, but she needed to prove that she belonged in the tribe, and what better way than to do what only brave men would do?

She darted to a small copse of trees where she’d hidden her tiny bow earlier that day after playing. Most of her arrows were dull for practice, but Jabali had given her several real sharp ones when she’d proven what a good shot she was.

Belle ran straight into the Jungle without stopping, ignoring Asani’s continued protests. He would probably run and tell, but Belle was fast and she’d be deep into the trees by the time he did.

After a time, she slowed, knowing better than to overtire herself. It was almost pitch black beneath the canopy, but Belle wasn’t afraid. She’d roamed this land her entire life, and she would continue to do so for the rest of it. She knew the animals, the trees, the rivers, and all their dangers.

She knew where to cross rivers and where it was better to avoid them.

She knew which trees had bark you could eat, and which could poison you.

And she knew all about animals. Like never make eye contact with…

A gorilla.

Belle froze, blinking rapidly in the dark at the hulking black shape before her. It let out a huff, and she scrambled into motion, dropping her bow and falling on her backside, scooting away.

The gorilla took a step closer to her, snuffling at her hair. She was whimpering and shaking, but kept her eyes firmly down at the ground, even though she could barely make out its eyes anyway.

She finally just squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself to be eaten or beaten into the ground. There was another sound, though, that made her open her eyes. A much smaller shape had joined the enormous one, and Belle could just make out the fact that it was a baby gorilla, staring up at her curiously.

Belle’s defenses lowered, and smile came to her lips as the baby reached out tentative fingers toward her face. She held still and let it touch, even let it pull her hair. The mother, as she assumed it was, was standing by placidly, allowing her young to explore, and Belle was no longer afraid.

The full moon had moved to peek between the trees, and she could more easily make out the mother and baby, and gasped in awe. They were so _beautiful_. Belle had never seen a living gorilla up close. They weren’t often hunted, but hunting parties had occasionally returned with a male. Never females, and never babies.

She was so absorbed in the baby, she didn’t notice that other gorillas were emerging from the darkness all around her. By the time she _did_ notice, she was completely surrounded. None of them appeared hostile, but Belle knew full well the damage a gorilla could inflict if it felt threatened.

Belle kept her shoulders hunched and her eyes cast downward, the way she’d read in a book about gorilla behavior.

The baby she’d been playing with turned away suddenly, running happily toward another newcomer. Belle followed it with her eyes until it launched itself into the arms of…a man?

Belle gasped, watching the man heft the small – but still most certainly heavy – gorilla in his arms, making a strange chuffing sound in his throat.

The moon was drifting behind a cloud, and Belle couldn’t make out the man’s features, except his skin was unlike any Belle had ever seen. Not the milky white of her own skin and that of her parents, and not the rich brown or black of the tribe. It seemed to almost shimmer, like water, and the color appeared to be the same as the leaves and grass. Or like a…crocodile?

Belle must have let out a sound, because several of the gorillas flinched and the man’s eyes turned to her for the first time, as if he hadn’t noticed her there before.

It was his eyes that struck Belle the most. They were unnaturally large, thought their color was impossible to tell. She couldn’t bring herself to avert her eyes, and they stared at one another. She in fear and disbelief and he…in curiosity?

The spell was broken by a sudden, loud ruckus coming from the direction of the village. Belle’s first thought that they must have started searching for her, but something sounded wrong. There were women screaming and men shouting a…a drum beat! A warning!

Belle leapt to her feet. Something bad was happening in the village, something very bad.

Forgetting all about the gorillas and the strange man, Belle took off at a run, and the animals parted ways to allow her past

She’d wandered farther than she realized, and it was a long run back. She perhaps would have become lost had it not been what sounded like some kind of battle.

Belle came to a clearing that had a tall tree that she’d climbed more times than she could count. She scurried up it with barely a thought, so she could see what was happening.

Her brain couldn’t make sense of the chaos happening in her village. There were flames, and people running and screaming. There were men, not of their people, and they were capturing women, putting ropes around their wrists. There were loud bangs…gunshots?

From her perch she could see her parents’ hut, her home. It was nearest to the tree line. She watched, as a man dressed the way the white men do, tossed a lit torch on to the thatch roof. It was a matter of seconds before the entire hut was engulfed in flames.

“Mama!” she screamed. “Papa!”

She scrambled back down the tree, falling part of the way and landing hard on her back. Wheezing, she struggled to her feet and forced herself to run, desperate to get to her family.

The screams and shouts were getting louder, as her people were fleeing into the Jungle, running from one set of dangers into another.

The bad men were chasing them, though, clasping people in irons. Belle stumbled back as the rapport of a gun rang in her ear, and she watched one of the young men collapse into the leaves.

“What ‘ave we here?”

Belle looked up at a man she’d never seen before. A white man, with a brown beard and hat that casted most of his features in shadow. But the glint of his teeth shone in the darkness as he grinned. “Aren’t you a pretty one. I think I’ll take you for myself…”

He reached down, and Belle struck out on instinct, punching him in the throat.

“Little bitch!” he hissed, grabbing her arm in a bruising grip before she could get away. She twisted in his grip and snarled. “I was gonna take you back to civilization, but if you’re gonna look and act like a little savage, I guess I’ll treat you like one.”

He threw her onto the ground, and all the breath that Belle had gotten back since her fall from the tree was slammed right out of her again. She didn’t understand what was happening, only that fear was causing bile to rise in her throat. He was leaning over her, fiddling with the front of his trousers. But why?

Before Belle could figure out what he had planned to do to her, he was being yanked off of her and thrown far away with a force unlike she’d ever seen.

With a blink of her eyes, the leering face of the white man was replaced with a green, scaled one. But he didn’t press her down, he took her hand in a gentle yet firm grasp and pulled her to her feet.

He stood before her, half-crouched, and tugged on her hand, trying to urge her deeper into the Jungle.

Belle longed to follow him. She felt like he would lead her to safety. But she couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ leave her people, her family.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice trembling, and the creature just stared at her with those huge eyes that turned concerned when she pulled away from him. “Thank you,” she repeated. “But I can’t…I have to…”

“Belle!”

Belle turned, a cry of relief bursting through her throat. “Papa!”

Her father swept her up into his arms without a word, and when Belle looked back again at the place the Mnyama had been, he was gone.

 

The men had swept through their village, taking them by surprise, taking women and children as prisoners, killing their warriors, and burning their homes. Jabali said that they were French slave-traders and poachers. 

Four women, and six girls were taken. Gone, never to return. Their warriors had fought bravely, and saved many, but there was nothing they could do about the ones who had been taken away. A dozen other men and women were killed. Shot, or burned in their homes.

They’d come to Belle’s home. They could see the toys and demanded to know where the child that lived there was. Collette had thrown a hot tea pot at one of them, scorching his face. They’d burned their home, then, and though Maurice had tried, and fought, he couldn’t save his wife.

In the end, all he could do was tear through the village, desperately searching for his beloved daughter. He found Asani, who told him that Belle had gone into the Jungle hours ago. Maurice took the boy with him, and ran for the tree line. He found his precious girl, sitting dazedly beside a white man’s corpse. But she was unharmed, and he took her into his arms and led as many villagers away as he could.

In the wake of the aftermath, Maurice had no choice. He’d lost his wife, but he _couldn’t_ lose his daughter, and Africa had become too dangerous.

“ _Why can’t you come with me?”_ Belle asked.

“Because, I still have work to do here,” Maurice told her in English, encouraging her to speak the same. He was torn between love of his daughter, and love of the people he’d been a part of for so long. He and Jabali had been friends for over fifteen years, when Maurice and Collette, newly married, had come to Jabali’s village to help educate the tribe. Jabali wanted his people to be knowledgeable of the people and languages that were slowly pouring into his country. So Maurice and Collette taught English, and literature, and science. In return, they allowed themselves to be educated as well by their new family. And when their daughter came along, she truly became a child of two worlds.

Maurice wanted, now more than ever, to help the tribe. Help them keep their heritage, their land, their lives.

But never at the risk of Belle, and that was why he made the decision to send her home, to England.

He watched her, pulling uncomfortably at her dress, as she bid farewell to her friends. Asani gifted her with a delicate beaded necklace, and she gave him her prized lion tooth.

It tore at Maurice, parting from his precious child. It was like he was losing them both.

“I love you,” he told her, squeezing her tightly.

“I love you too,” she said quietly.

“You’ll make your Mama proud,” he said, smoothing down her wild curls. “You’ll learn, and grow, and become a wonderful woman.”

Belle didn’t respond, only pulled away, fingering her mother’s silver locket tangling with her beaded necklace.

Maurice watched as the stern-looking woman hired to escort Belle to England took her hand and led her toward the plane.

Belle took one more look back, at Maurice, and Jabali, and Asani, then past them to the trees beyond. Then she boarded the plane, and was gone.

 


	2. Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle learns a disturbing truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Found some time for another update! Don't get too used to very frequent updates, but work is about to pick up a lot next week and then next weekend I'll be traveling. After that, I plan to update on the same day every week. But so many of y'all left such nice comments, I couldn't resist! There are still a couple chapters to go before Belle and the Mnyama meet again, so bear with me!

“Isabelle Jane French!”

Belle gritted her teeth, having been caught before she could escape up to the room she inhabited in her grandmother’s house since graduating finishing school.

“Yes, Grandmother?” she called as amicably as she could, while she removed her gloves and hat and set them on the small table in the foyer.

Grandmother Doris French emerged from the sitting room, hands perched on her generous hips, hair twisted back in its usual severe gray bun. “Mrs. Clayton was just here. She told me that you refused her son’s proposal _again_!”

“One would think that the first “no” would have been sufficient,” Belle muttered under her breath before continuing more clearly. “You may tell Mrs. Clayton the same thing I told her son, I _do not_ want to marry him.”

Doris clucked her tongue as Belle skirted past her and into the ornate sitting room. “Posh! Gaston Clayton is the most eligible bachelor in London. You should feel honored that he’s set his sights to you! You couldn’t possibly do better!”

“Gaston is boor!” Belle protested hotly, nearly sprawling on the chaise lounge before a withering look from her grandmother made her amend herself and sit demurely with her ankles crossed. “He’s rude, and conceited…he’s not for me!”

“What you call _rude_ is honesty, Isabelle. And he isn’t conceited, he’s confident. He would need to be such to handle a girl such as you!”

“Handle me?” Belle asked, incredulous. “You think a man needs to be able to _handle_ me? What about love?”

Doris rolled her eyes. “You’re twenty-five years old, Isabelle. You’re far too old to still be fooling yourself with aspirations of love. Love is fleeting, child. Eventually you’ll grow old and lose that beauty of yours, and what will be left? Security, and status, that’s what. Gaston Clayton can give those things to you, and if you’re lucky, a mutual respect will grow. If you refuse him, you’ll be stuck accepting a proposal from someone like Charles Munch.”

Belle grimaced. Charles Munch was a fifty year old, overweight, odious man who sweated consistently and smelled forever of rotten eggs. He’d had one wife, a willowy young thing that he’d basically purchased, but she’d passed away and ever since then he’d been eyeing Belle.

“I’ll be stuck doing no such thing,” Belle said. “I would sooner become an old maid than marry someone I do not love, much less even _like_.”

“You’re already practically an old maid,” Doris sneered. “And I’m not going to keep supporting you forever.”

Belle clenched her fists, feeling an unaccustomed violent inclination toward the old woman. “Then I’ll just go _home_! To Africa, and Papa!”

“You hush that mouth!” Doris snapped. “I will not hear such talk! You’re not going back to that savage land, and that’s _final!_ ”

With a growl, Belle spun and stormed up the stairs, not caring that she was acting like a child.

All in all, Doris had been a good guardian to Belle since she’d come to live in England as a traumatized, half-wild girl. She was hardly the warm and loving grandma that ten-year-old Belle had envisioned, but her no-nonsense, frank manner had been soothing to Belle in a way coddling wouldn’t have been.

England was so vastly different than what Belle had known, that it was impossible to wallow in her misery. Doris had purchased her a year’s worth of black dresses so that she could properly mourn her mother, and for that whole year Belle was left mostly to her own devices, able to read and wander the manor grounds as much as she wished.

Her greatest comfort came from Martha Potts, Doris’s maid. Martha had been born and raised in the French household, but her parents had been from Kenya. She had offered Belle the affection Doris was unable to give, and was the only one willing to listen in interest to Belle’s descriptions of life in Africa.

But other than her private conversations with Martha, Belle was expressly forbidden to tell people where she was born. Doris was convinced that society would shun Belle if they learned about her “savage” upbringing, and she was probably right. When Belle’s year of mourning was over, she was packed up and sent to Lady Mills’ School for Young Ladies under the stern warning that no one find out about Belle’s past. As far as anyone knew, Belle was from America, and so it had been for the past fourteen years.

Finishing school, as it turned out, wasn’t half as horrible as Belle had thought it would be. The dresses were indeed suffocating, and many of the lessons were inane. (Who honestly needed to know how to needlepoint anyway?) But the girls were also truly educated. In history, math, science, and everything. Regina Mills may have been a rather stern - and sometimes downright frightening - headmistress, but she wasn’t of the sort to believe that girls should have nothing in their heads except catching a husband and raising babies.

And Belle had made friends. Enemies as well, and she wondered at what was wrong with her that she enjoyed her relationships with them as much as her friends sometimes.

Mary Margaret, Mrs. Mill’s daughter, had started off as Belle’s arch nemesis, but in the end they’d become like sisters, together with Belle’s roommate Ruby. Ashley Boyd, however, had remained petty and vindictive all the way up to graduation day.

She’d learned a lot, and grown a lot. But now Belle was just ready to go _home_. She missed her Papa more than anything, and she felt like now that she was grown, she could help him and the tribes like her mother had.

Belle touched the silver locket at her throat, then darted to her vanity table to where her small jewelry box was. Inside, with the various bits and bobs her grandmother had given her, was the beaded necklace Asani had given her. She wondered how he was, if he had a wife now. A part of her wished she’d just married him when they were children.

Feeling rebellious, Belle put the necklace on, then went to sit at her desk to compose a letter to her Papa. She’d made a habit of writing him at least once a month. It wasn’t always easy to get letters to and from the village, but they managed. She’d been hinting in her last few letters about returning to Africa, but the requests had been out and out ignored. In the early days of her time at school, she’d _begged_ Papa to send for her, but he’d only told her that she was better off, and to be brave.

She wrote him now, trying to form her words as maturely as she could, asking to at least be allowed to visit. Of course once she got there, she wasn’t leaving again, but he didn’t need to know that. She had only seen her Papa once in the fifteen years since her “banishment” to England, and that had been only a brief yet wonderful visit during Christmas when she was twelve. She’d managed not to beg him to take her home, under the strict supervision by her grandmother as they were, but she knew she’d seen reluctance in his eyes when he left her.

Once her letter was done, she ventured down the servants stairs in search of Mr. Cogsworth, the butler.

“Martha?” she called once she got to the kitchen. “Have you seen Cogsworth? I have a letter to send to Papa.”

“He went out,” Martha said. “Why don’t you leave it in the study? I’ll make sure he fetches it.”

Belle turned to go, but Martha called her back. “I heard about Mr. Clayton.”

Belle glowered. “Then you know why I couldn’t _possibly_ marry him!”

“Of course not!” Martha exclaimed. “That boy is naught but a brute! But that’s not what I meant.”

Belle furrowed her brow. “Then what? What’s he done now?”

“Mrs. Clayton’s maid was here earlier. She said the young lord is planning himself a trip to Africa.”

“Wh…what? Gaston is going to Africa?” Belle’s mind was whirring. “What could he possibly…” but then she grunted. “Of course, a hunt, right? He’s no longer satisfied with bears and wolves?”

Martha nodded. “Fancies himself a great, manly hunter. But my daddy said there is no honor in a man who hunts for sport, without using every bit of the animal.”

“King Jabali said that same,” Belle said. “He always said that hunting was a practice in balance.”

Belle stalked into the study, seething that it was so _easy_ for a man to travel wherever he wanted. All he needed was money, and the world was his oyster. He needed no chaperone, no _permission_. Belle, on the other hand, was as trapped as any prisoner. It mattered not that she was a grown woman with an inheritance. Until she married she was at the mercy of her guardian, and if she ever _did_ marry, she’d just be at the mercy of a husband. It was infuriating.

When Belle went to set the letter on the desk, she noticed the corner of another envelope sticking out of the drawer. It looked like her stationary, so she opened the drawer just enough so she could see. Sure enough, it was one of her letters…to her father! She snatched it up and realized that it was already open, and it was the letter she’d asked Cogsworth to send over a month ago!

She jerked the drawer open wider and began ruthlessly digging through it. What she found was enough to make her blood boil. Buried deep in the drawer were two stacks of open letters, tied together with string. One stack was her letters to Papa, and the other was Papa’s letters to her!

She looked at the most recent one from Papa, recognizing most of what it contained, but the handwriting was subtly different. Less proper, more misspelled words. But the horrifying part was there were things in the letter that hadn’t been in the letter Belle had received.

“My darling girl,” it said. “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. I hope this Clayton fellow knows that he’d best write to me before making anything official! I wish you could come home and visit before you marry, however. Your family here misses you. Asani was so disappointed when you couldn’t come to his marriage ceremony…”

It went on, saying things and responding to questions that Belle didn’t fully understand. When had Asani invited her to his marriage ceremony? In all of the letters Belle had received, no matter how many times she asked about Asani and her other friends, her father hadn’t mentioned him in a very long time.

On the bottom of the letter was a passage written in Swahili. Tears sprang to her eyes when she realized that she couldn’t easily read it. It took a few moments, but the memory came back enough that she was able to make out “ _Come home, Uzuri, dark times are upon us. Your people need you_.”

Belle sat down hard on the desk chair, the air whooshing from her lungs. The only thing she could figure was that Doris had been intercepting their letters for years, rewriting them to fit what she believed “proper.”

There was at least eight years’ worth of letters in the stacks, meaning she hadn’t read an actual letter from her father in that long. Her best friend in the world had written little messages at the end of almost every letter, begging her to return. He had a wife now. He was the now the tribal leader…Jabali had passed away some three years past.

“Belle?” Martha said, entering the dimly lit study. “What’s wrong, pet?”

It was only then that Belle realized that she was sobbing. “Did you know about this?” she demanded, holding up the letters.

Martha bustled forward and took the letters, looking through them for several moments, her expression darkening with each one. “No, I didn’t know,” she said quietly. “I swear, if I had…”

“I know,” Belle said miserably. “Papa wanted me to come home _years_ ago! Doris has him believing that I’m getting married and don’t even care if he comes to the wedding or not!”

“I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”

“What am I going to do? I’m going to demand an explanation, for starters!”

Martha made a face, her dark eyes glinting.

“What?” Belle demanded. “You don’t think I should confront her?”

Martha pursed her lips. “I think…confronting her would be what a lady of your standing _should_ do. Wronged as you’ve been.”

“Why doesn’t that sounds like encouragement, then?”

“I’m only saying,” Martha shrugged. “Once Doris knows that you know the truth, she’ll probably become more determined than ever to marry you off. And, well, she’s still your legal guardian…”

Belle bit her lip. Martha was right. She’d been ready to march up and be the indignant debutant, instead of using her brain. Purposefully and carefully, she replaced the letters back in the drawer, all except the most recent one. That one she tucked into her skirt pocket.

“Now what will you do, Miss?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Belle said, but her resolve was firm, and she had an idea.

 

That night, Belle lay awake in her comfortable bed, wishing she were in a hammock instead. The only thing that bothered her more than the years’ worth of missed letters, was the urgency in Asani’s message. “ _Dark times…your people need you_.” What did that mean? Even the handwriting had been a little more firm than previous letters.

Unbidden, her mind returned to that terrible night.

Most of her memories of that night were blurry at best. Her young mind had locked away the images and sounds, never to be released. All she really remembered was the general sense of fear and the sight of flames licking the side of the hut.

The only thing she remembered clearly was what happened _before_ the attack, when she’d been sitting on the Jungle floor, surrounded by gorillas, feeling both terrified awe and utter peace. And then there’d been the man…the… _what had they called him?_ The Mnyama . The Beast.

That had to have been what he was, what other explanation could there be for a man-like creature who resembled a crocodile, but moved like an ape?

Belle closed her eyes, and tried to bring him more into focus. Instead, she remembered when he’d saved her. When that man had thrown her down…and gotten on top of her…

Her eyes flew open with a gasp. It was one of the memories Belle had locked away, and until that moment, she hadn’t known exactly what it was that the man was going to do to her. Now that Belle realized, she felt sick. The Mnyama saved her from a trauma she’d never have been able to fully overcome.

Belle wondered if he was still out there, and most of all, she wondered who he _really_ was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Belle going to do now?? :)


	3. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle formulates a plan to get home to Africa...with the help of some friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my trip to see the eclipse! If you were lucky enough like me to see totality, wasn't it awesome?! From now on I'll be trying to keep to regular updates on Thursdays, maybe with occasional bonus chapters. ;) Thanks for all the awesome comments so far!

It wasn’t going to be easy, and even the thought was enough to make her want to gag, but Belle had a plan to get home.

She would need help, however, and when Martha vehemently refused, (“I may be African by blood, child, but I’m happy right here, thankyouverymuch.”) Belle was forced to seek help elsewhere.

“Wait…what?” Ruby said, almost choking on the tea she had been daintily sipping. “Did I hear you just say the words “accept” “marriage” and “Gaston Clayton” in the same sentence?”

Belle rolled her eyes. “I believe my exact sentence was “I need to make Gaston Clayton think I will accept his hand in marriage,” but yes, all of those words were included.”

“What’s going on, Belle?” Mary Margaret asked in the same tone of voice she’d used when Belle had formulated a plan to release the doves from the school aviary when they were thirteen.

They were sitting in Mary Margaret’s elegant yet modest parlor, in the beautiful storybook house that she shared with her husband, David. Mary Margaret had lucked out in finding a mate, as David was one of the kindest souls Belle had ever met, if not the smartest, but he loved Mary Margaret desperately. And he treated Belle and Ruby like members of the family.

“You can’t _stand_ Gaston,” Mary Margaret continued. “Please tell me your grandmother hasn’t finally worn you down?”

“I’m not going to marry Gaston,” Belle said in only slight exasperation. “But you see, he’s taking a trip to Africa next month, and I _need_ to go with him. I thought, maybe, if I tell him that I’m _considering_ accepting his suit, but of course I couldn’t _possibly_ until he’s spoken to my father…he’ll have to take me!”

“Wait wait wait,” Ruby said, holding up a hand. “One moment…your father is in _Africa_? Since when? I thought he was in _America_?”

Belle bit her lip. She’d wanted to tell them the truth ages ago, but it had just never come up, and to be truthful, Belle had always been a tad fearful that they would think differently about her. “Did I say America?” she chuckled nervously.

“You’re…not American?” Mary Margaret asked.

Belle shook her head. “No, I’m not. I was born in Central Africa, in a very small village.”

Mary Margaret and Ruby just stared at her, mouths agape. “So…you’re…African?” Ruby asked. “You uh…don’t look like any African I’ve ever seen.”

Belle rolled her eyes. “My father is English, and my mother was born in Australia and moved with her family to South Africa. They met when my father was visiting a tribe in Nairobi where my mother was helping her mother treat sick children. They married, and traveled around to different tribes, offering medicine and teaching English where such knowledge was wanted. They settled with a small tribe called the Hadithi…and that’s where I come from.”

Mary Margaret was shaking her head in wonder. “I…I had no idea, Belle. Did my mother know?”

“No, my grandmother made sure no one knew. No one was to know about her granddaughter’s “savage” ways.”

“Well, you _were_ pretty different back then,” Ruby admitted. “But wow, Belle! Why didn’t you tell us? You must have had an incredible childhood! Have you ever seen an elephant?!”

Belle ducked her head shyly. “Seen them, and ridden them as well.”

Mary Margaret giddily leaned forward, forsaking all appearances of sophisticated, upper-class wife and once more becoming a spirited child. “What about lions?! And gorillas?”

“I saw gorillas only once,” she said, trying not to let the sadness and fear from that night overwhelm her, shaking it off before becoming drawn in by the old desire to share stories. “But I once helped raise an orphaned lion cup, until it was old enough to be released.”

The other girls squealed excitedly. “And what about the people there?” Ruby asked. “Is it true they like…don’t wear clothes?!”

Belle scowled, but tried not to blame Ruby for her ignorance. “Of course they wear clothes! Beautiful clothes, in colors almost unheard of here. There are none of the same ridiculous standards of so-called “modesty”, however. No one cares if you keep your ankles covered, and if it’s too hot for a man to go without a shirt, why shouldn’t a woman?”

She had to laugh at the scandalized gasps, but after more than half her life spent in “civilized” society, the idea felt odd to her now too.

“Ok, so I think I’m getting the picture,” Ruby said. “You want to go back to Africa, but Doris is preventing you. So you’re going to manipulate Gaston into getting you a ticket. Am I caught up?”

“Pretty much,” Belle said. “But do you have to say “manipulate”? I feel bad enough about this as it is.”

“Don’t,” Mary Margaret said with a wave of her hand. “Gaston is a cad. If I may speak crassly, he has manipulated more than one woman into his bed, so he deserves what he gets at this point.”

“What do you need from us?” Ruby asked, quick to the chase as always.

Belle smiled. “Well your support, for one thing. I’ll need all of that I can get to get Doris to allow me to go. But if I any hope of it at all, I’ll need a chaperone…”

“Oh! Oh! Me!” Ruby bounced most-unladylike in her seat.

Belle giggled at her exuberant friend. “Yes, Ruby, you. Would you consider it? Would your Granny allow it?”

 _“Consider_ it? I’d love to! And I’m sure I could convince Granny.”

“Convince Granny of what?” David asked, sauntering into the parlor, twirling a decorative cane in one hand as if he were pretending it was a sword. “Hello, ladies. You’re all looking exceptionally lovely today.”

Belle and Ruby both fluttered their fingers at their friend’s husband in exaggerated flirtation. “Hello, Charming,” they sang in unison.

David gave a long-suffering sigh at the nickname bestowed upon him by Mary Margaret when they’d first met. It had been sarcastic at the time, but grown into a term of affection, and often a source of teasing from their friends.

“What are you convincing Granny of?” he repeated, taking a seat beside his wife and pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek before helping himself to a finger sandwich.

“To let me accompany Belle and Gaston Clayton to Africa,” Ruby explained.

“He was just telling me about that trip!” David said. “But he didn’t say Belle…wait…why would you two want to go to Africa?”

“Be _cause_ ,” Ruby droned, as if David should already know for some reason. “So Belle can return to her father and the African tribe who raised her!”

David blinked dumbly. “Hm?”

Belle shook her head. “Mary Margaret, if you could just voice your support of me to my grandmother, I know she’ll listen to you. What with you being a respectable married woman, and such.”

“Of course, Belle,” Mary Margaret patted her hand. “Won’t we, Charming?”

“Yes, of course,” David agreed. “I don’t fully understand what’s happening here, but anything you need, dear Belle. I only wonder if I should rethink my answer to Clayton about joining him on his hunt.”

“Gaston invited you?” Mary Margaret asked, brows furrowing.

David made a face. “I turned him down, politely of course. I’m no hunter, but even if I was, the last person I would trust to traipse around the jungles of Africa with would be Gaston Clayton.”

“Then perhaps you _should_ go after all,” Mary Margaret said. “Belle may need protection!”

“Do you really think he’s dangerous?” Belle asked. She had no love for Gaston, but she’d never imagined him as anything other than a braggart.

“Perhaps not,” David said. “But I don’t trust him, and I _certainly_ don’t trust him with you. I think I’ll send a message right now that I’ve reconsidered.”

David excused himself to compose the missive, and Belle clenched her fingers nervously.

“Why did you come here?” Mary Margaret asked softly. “To England I mean. You told us before that your mother passed away, and your father wanted you raised around female influence.”

Belle hunched her shoulders. “It was close enough to the truth. My mother was killed…by slave-traders. I escaped only because I’d been running in the jungle alone when I wasn’t supposed to. Papa feared for my safety, that’s why he sent me here…” she paused, sticking a hand in her pocket to feel the letter there. “But I have a bad feeling. I think there may be something going on. My old friend included a message in my Papa’s last letter, saying that they needed me. I need to see them. I need to know that they’re ok.”

“Of course,” Ruby whispered. “Belle, I’m so sorry.”

Belle smiled sadly and nodded, glad she had friends such as them.

 

In the end, it wasn’t nearly as hard to gain admittance to the Africa trip as Belle imagined it would. Belle barely even had to insinuate anything to Gaston, she merely told him that her father was in Africa (leaving out the part about her being raised there) and perhaps would like to meet Gaston. After that, he all but insisted to Doris that Belle be allowed to accompany him, with proper chaperoning from Ruby Lucas, and, eventually, Mary Margaret as well.

It had been quite the argument, Belle heard. But Mary Margaret refused to allow David to leave her at home while he and both her dearest friends traipsed off on a grand adventure.

With so much civilized company, and the hope of marrying Belle off at last, Doris was all but happy to let her go, and Belle had a strong feeling that the woman would be planning the engagement parties and wedding in her absence. She refused to let it worry her, though, as she had absolutely no intention to return.

She didn’t bother to send a letter ahead, as it was entirely possible she’d beat it anyway. As the date of the trip approached, and as their preparations were being completed, Belle was growing more and more nervous.

How had the village changed in the years since she’d left? Had her father aged very much? Would he still be the larger-than-life presence she remembered?

What was Asani like now? She held no illusions that their friendship could just pick right up from where it left off when they were children. He was a grown man now, and a leader, with a family of his own. And Belle…well…

Belle looked around her bedroom, making sure there was nothing that she needed to add to her traveling trunk. She stared down at the trunk in dismay. What need had she for twelve petticoats on a safari? And why couldn’t she bring herself to remove any of them?

She turned to look at herself in her ornate vanity mirror and sighed. She looked every inch the proper English lady, despite her grandmother’s claims to the opposite. Her hands and feet were soft and uncallused, hidden as they were beneath wool stockings, delicate shoes, and kid gloves. Her face was porcelain white and unblemished, only the faintest of freckles remaining under the powder and pale rouge. Would she even still feel like she belongs at home?

Biting her lower lip, Belle yanked eight petticoats out of the trunk and tossed them aside, not feeling terribly victorious when she found herself adding a parasol in their place.

“Maybe I just don’t belong anywhere,” she mumbled to herself, thinking suddenly of the Mnyama; both man and beast, belonging anywhere and nowhere at once.

 

When the day finally came, Belle bid a solemn farewell to her grandmother, followed by a much more emotional farewell to her beloved Martha.

“You take care o’yourself, child,” Martha said, pressing Belle’s face to her wide bosom as she’d done when Belle was a girl. For her part, Belle cuddled into the maid’s embrace as much as she could, breathing deep the familiar smell of her, in case she didn’t get the chance to again for a long time…if ever. “You can’t count on no-one to save you if you find yourself in trouble. You got to do the saving yourself. Do the brave thing…”

“And bravery will follow,” Belle finished softly, remembering the quote from their favorite book.

“That’s enough of that, Isabelle,” Doris sniffed. “This is most unseemly. Mr. Clayton, I do hope you’ll keep our Isabelle in line. She’s like to forget her manners if she’s away from civilization.”

“You need not worry, Mrs. French,” Gaston said most patronizingly, placing a heavy hand on Belle’s shoulder. “Belle will be in excellent hands, I assure you.”

Belle grit her teeth, exchanging a look with Martha. All she had to do was bite her tongue for a few weeks, and remind herself that as much as she didn’t want to, she _needed_ Gaston.

“You ready?” Ruby said, preparing to steer Belle to seat on the plane between herself and Mary Margaret…as was _proper_ of course.

Belle nodded and dabbed at her eyes with a monogrammed handkerchief, and waved goodbye to Martha once more.

At long last, they boarded the airplane that would take them…to a different plane…and a train…and a long ride or walk…and then finally, _home_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! That's it for Belle in England! I'm trying not to drag it out too long before she and Mnyama meet up again, but I wanted there to be some build up too, so there's still another chapter or two before that happens! Next time, we'll meet some more familiar faces, and so will Belle!


	4. Hadithi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle goes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long chapter today! Couldn't find a good spot to split it, plus I'm anxious to get to the return of our Beast!

**__Hadithi -** _Story_

 

Ruby stared wide-eyed out of the window of the train at the open savannah spreading before them.

“Look at…what _are_ those?!” she exclaimed, pointing out at the figures loping along in the distance.

“Antelope,” Belle said, glancing out. “Get used to them. They’re everywhere. You’ll be bound to eat one pretty soon.”

Ruby made a face.

“Is it always so hot here?” Mary Margaret asked, waving a delicate lace fan in front of her face.

Belle turned her head slightly, missing her friend’s question when Gaston guffawed loudly as he regaled the other men in a tale about a boar he’d felled.

His hunting party consisted of five men, counting David. His closest friend, Samuel Lefou, a beady-eyed little man who hung on Gaston’s every word. Doctor Viktor Whale, a scientist of a sort Belle couldn’t quite decipher but seemed more intent to study rather than hunt. Killian Jones, a man who Belle imagined could have been a pirate in another life and was as shifty as they came. And finally Jefferson Carrol, a rather odd dandy who didn’t seem to fit in with the rest any more than David did. While everyone else donned travel-ready boots and khaki trousers, Jefferson stubbornly wore his neat suit and top hat tilted jauntily to one side and a cravat tied expertly about his neck. He was a strange sort, and not terribly talkative, and Belle had no clue what he wanted out of this trip.

Only Jefferson and David refrained from joining in the hilarity of whatever ribald joke Killian had told. When David met her gaze across the seat, she gave him a sympathetic look. At least it wasn’t expected of _her_ to socialize with those ruffians.

She turned back toward the window, nodding politely at the other women’s chatter, but let her mind wander. From the moment their aeroplane landed on the continent, Belle felt like she was able to take her first full breath in fifteen years. She watched the antelope bound alongside the train, and fancied that they were welcoming her home.

 

They were met at the train station by a nervous-looking bespectacled man who introduced himself as Archie Hopper, their guide for the duration of the trip. Belle eyed him skeptically. He seemed too waiflike and far too…American to be a reliable guide in the jungles of Africa. But she kept her opinions to herself. After all, the men didn’t know that she was doing anything but seeing the sights and visiting her father.

“Of course, the women should remain in town,” Mr. Hopper was saying. “The wilderness is no place for civilized ladies.”

It was on the tip of Belle’s tongue to protest, but then she realized that with the men all out on their hunt, there would be nothing stopping her from making her way home on her own. She was confident that she remembered the way, and even if not, it would be easy enough to find someone she could pay to escort her.

David must have read her mind though, because he shot her a warning look before speaking up. “My wife and her friends are quite excited to see the wildlife, Mr. Hopper. I would prefer them remain with us.”

_Thanks a lot, Charming._

“My fiancé here is meeting her father, as well,” Gaston said. “He’s working with the…what did you call them, Belle? Hullabaloo?”

Belle gritted her teeth. “Hadithi,” she hissed, pulling away from the arm he’d slung about her shoulders.

“ _Hadithi_?” Mr. Hopper exclaimed. “Surely you don’t mean to visit the Hadithi tribe?”

Belle blinked in confusion. “Of course we do, why wouldn’t we? The Hadithi have always been a peaceful tribe.”

“P…perhaps…” he stammered. “But Miss…no one goes there anymore. The Hadithi tribe…they’re _cursed_.”

“Cursed?” Viktor scoffed. “Surely you jest, man.”

“No….there’s…there’s a dark spirit that reigns in the jungle there…a creature…not a man, not an animal…”

“Mnyama…” Belle said without meaning to, garnering surprised looks from everyone present.

“Yes,” Mr. Hopper said. “How could you know that?”

Gaston rolled his eyes. “The things this woman reads. Look, we’re not interested in your fairytales. I’m here to hunt large game, but before I can do that, I need to meet my fiancé’s father. And if her father is with this…Hadoothy tribe, then you’re going to take us there.”

Hopper finally reluctantly agreed, and they set off on foot.

Belle knew that it was a trek of full day to the village, as it was a trip she had taken with her parents on more than one occasion. But never before had she been so exhausted after only a handful of hours of walking. Her numerous skirts felt like they weighed a hundred pounds, and her boots, though a sensible walking pair, were not suited for this type of hiking.

She hated herself for allowing herself to fall so out of shape, but she would have died before complaining. Ruby and Mary Margaret didn’t look to be in much better shape, and even Viktor and LeFou were beginning to lag behind.

“Don’t fall back too far,” Belle called back at them in warning. “It’s the stragglers that lionesses like to pick off!”

“I take it you’ve been here before,” Jefferson said, speaking to her for the first time.

“This is my home,” she told him honestly, seeing no point anymore in lying. But he didn’t question her, or announce it to the rest of the group. He only raised one eyebrow and nodded, before holding out a hand to help her over a log.

The closer they got to the village, the more the land looked familiar to her, and the more excited she became. She was the only one, however, because the rest of the group grew more and more quiet.

Gaston and Killian had their rifles clutched in their hands, and David had taken Mary Margaret’s hand and was keeping her close.

Ruby sidled up close to Belle, and she could swear that if Ruby had ears on top of her head, they’d be pricked up like a wolf’s.

“What’s wrong?” Belle asked, looping her arm through her friend’s.

“Don’t you feel it?” Ruby said quietly, as if afraid to talk too loudly.

“Feel…what?”

“She’s right,” Jefferson said. “Something’s not right here.”

Belle furrowed her brow, trying to attune to her surroundings, listening for the telltale growl of a leopard, or the smell of baboons, or…something.

“There’s nothing,” she said. “I don’t know what you all are feeling.”

“Must be the Mnyama!” Viktor said mockingly.

“Quiet!” Hopper hissed.

“Honestly, Mr. Hopper,” Belle scolded. “You should know better if you’re to be a guide. There is no curse and there is no Mnyama.”

She knew, of course, that there _was_ a creature, but she also suspected that there was a logical explanation for him, and it wasn’t a _curse_.

But after another moment, Belle _did_ become aware of…something. However it was no dark presence. It was an old feeling that she hadn’t experienced in a long time...but not an unpleasant one. “Everybody stop,” she said clearly but calmly.

The company halted. “Do you hear something?” Gaston asked, raising his rifle.

Belle kept her eyes glued to the path before them. There was something _there_ , an animal, and it felt familiar somehow.

Gaston aimed his gun, but Belle grabbed it and pushed it back down. From between the bushes emerged an enormous silverback gorilla.

Belle froze, feeling everyone else do the same. The last time she’d been face-to-face with one of these creatures, it had been dark. Now, in the full daylight, she could see its powerful muscles and intelligent eyes…watching them.

Gaston was aiming his gun again, as was Killian and Viktor, and even David was holding his at ready, standing in front of Mary Margaret and Ruby while reaching slowly for Belle.

But Belle took a step closer to the ape, worried more for its safety than her own at the moment. “Don’t look him in the eyes,” she said, still keeping her voice soothing and calm.

She bowed her head, and hunched in on herself, and the ape huffed in what sounded to her like approval.

“Belle,” Gaston said, too loudly, and it made the gorilla tense. “Get _away_!”

“Don’t _shoot_ him!” Belle begged, still crouching before the animal.

“We won’t!” Jefferson called softly. “We won’t, Belle, now please…back away.”

Belle risked a glance up at the gorilla’s face, still avoiding his eyes. He was looking at her curiously, and she sensed no hostility, so she began backing away.

The gorilla looked like he was ready to move on, finding nothing of interest in the group of humans, but from the corner of her eye Belle watched Gaston raise his rife, and she had just enough time to shove at the barrel as it went off, her ears stinging as the bullet went wide and hit the tree instead of the ape.

Frightened and intimidated, the gorilla reared up, beating his chest and letting out a deafening roar.

“No!” Belle screamed as Gaston aimed again.

But then there was another sound, a cross between a roar and a scream, and a rock the size of a fist flew from the treetops and struck Gaston in the back of his head. He dropped like a stone.

Belle and the rest look up, but all she could see was a flash of goldish green before another rock nearly hit her in the face.

By this time the gorilla had run away, and LeFou and Killian wasted no time in hauling up Gaston as they all made a break for it.

“What was _that_?!” David exclaimed, dragging both Mary Margaret and Ruby along as fast as he could.

“The Mnyama!” Archie cried.

Belle tried to keep up, but her skirts kept tripping her. Finally she had to lag behind, tearing at them impatiently. The others must not have noticed, but she hardly cared. None of that would have happened if they’d only _listened_ to her.

She looked behind her, at the now quiet jungle, squinting her eyes to try to see what she’d seen before. And yes, there! Another flash of green from between the trees.

“Hello?” she called. She just _knew_ that it was the same creature who’d saved her as a child. It had to be! And this time, all he’d done was save one of the gorillas he was obviously akin with.

“Belle!” Ruby called, and David appeared at her side, taking her arm.

“Belle, come on!” he said, the girls and Jefferson joining them.

“My skirts,” she snapped. “I can’t run in them,” she finally got a good grip and ripped, separating the heavy outer skirt from her bodice, leaving only a petticoat and chemise.

“Belle!” Mary Margaret scolded.

Irked by her matronly tone, Belle took it a step further by tying the petticoat up by her hip, leaving the whole of one leg exposed.

David and Jefferson flushed and turned away, but she was beyond caring. “Oh, just come _on_ ,” she growled, casting one more look behind, but if the creature had been there before, he had gone.

 

Belle studiously ignored the leers from the other men when they rejoined them, and Gaston’s protests once he awoke. All she wanted was to be home, and hopefully then most of the others could continue on without her.

“It’s not far,” she said gruffly, taking the lead when it looked like Archie was too fearful to go on, giving him no choice but to follow.

She glanced to her right, and stared hard at a tree that she recognized instantly.

“Do you see something?” Ruby asked worriedly.

“No,” she said dully. “Just…that’s the tree I climbed to watch my childhood home be burned to the ground by white slave-traders, with my mother inside.”

The others gaped in shock, even the girls and David, who already knew.

Belle glared at Archie. “You speak of curses and beasts, but you want to know who the real monsters are? They’re men just like you, who kill and pillage without mercy. A monster is a man who would have raped a ten-year-old girl on this very ground had it not been for…”she hesitated, having let her mouth get away from her. “a beast.”

She stalked away then, furious at herself for talking and causing all the pitying and/or suspicious looks now being aimed her way.

“You’re _from_ here,” Gaston said accusingly, jogging to catch up.

“Well done, Sherlock,” Jefferson droned.

“Yes, Gaston,” Belle said, feeling officially fed up. “I’m a savage little native girl. I suppose you don’t want to marry me any longer?”

Gaston gave her a look that made her extremely uncomfortable, then smiled in a way that was even worse. “Don’t be silly, Belle, we _will_ be married. I can overlook your…primitive upbringing. You have, after all, been…tamed.”

“Yes…well…” David broke in uncomfortably. “There’s still the matter of her father. There’ll be no marriage without his blessing, of course.”

“Of course not,” Gaston agreed. “But that’s a simple matter. Shall we?”

Once they crested the hill, and Belle could look down at her beautiful village, every irritation fled from her.

“Now, I need to go down first,” Archie was saying. “And request an audience with the tribal leader before we can…Miss?”

Belle was already halfway down the hill, running freely for the first time since…well, since last she was there.

She was inevitably noticed first by the children, who ran into huts to alert their parents. Before she could reach the first huts, a crowd had begun to form. They stood alert, some eyeing the rest of the group coming down the hill. Men held spears at ready, but not threateningly.

Belle slowed to a more sedate pace, desperately scanning the crowd for a familiar face, but it had been _fifteen years_.

But just then, a tall man wearing the garb of a king emerged from his hut, shielding the sun from his eyes with his hand, and Belle knew him at once.

“ _Asani!”_ she cried, breaking into a run once more. “ _Asani!”_

Asani stared for a moment, before his eyes flew open wide “ _Uzuri?”_ he gasped, his voice loud and deep.

He only needed three lopes with his long legs before he met her halfway, and she launched herself into his welcoming arms.

“ _Uzuri!”_ he exclaimed over and over. “ _You are home!”_

 _“I am home,”_ she agreed in unpracticed Swahili. “ _I am sorry it took me so long!”_

He held her out from him, gazing at her with teary eyes. “ _You truly are Beauty, my sister.”_

_“As are you, brother!”_

He looked over her head, and she craned around to see the rest of the group approaching cautiously, led by a quivering Archie.

“ _They are with you?”_ Asani asked.

“Greetings,” Gaston said, approaching them and none-too-subtly pulling Belle away. “I, am, Gaston,” he continued slowly, as if speaking to a simpleton.

“Hello, Gaston,” Asani said in perfect English. “I am Asani, king of the Hadithi. Welcome.” To Belle, he spoke in Swahili. “ _Is_ this _your man?”_

Belle rolled her eyes. “ _Long story. He was my only way of getting here. Perhaps you can help me be rid of him?”_

_“Gladly.”_

“What are you saying?” Gaston asked peevishly. “Since when do you speak such gibberish?”

 _“Where is my father?”_ Belle asked, ignoring Gaston. She felt a fearful lump in her throat, not seeing him in the crowd.

Asani patted her shoulder comfortingly. _“Fear not, he is over the hill teaching a lesson to the older children. He is well, my Uzuri, though he has missed you greatly.”_

Belle bit her lip, gutted at the thought of how much she had missed.

“Who’s your friend?” Ruby piped up, eying Asani with interest.

“This is Asani,” Belle introduced. “My oldest and dearest friend. Also, down girl, I do believe he’s married.”

Asani’s eyes glittered in mirth. “Oh? Is she interested in being a second wife?”

Ruby flushed scarlet while Belle slapped Asani’s arm. “Behave!” then to the rest she said, “The Hadithi are monogamous.”

Belle introduced the rest, and even after so much time, she could tell that Asani could pick up on the subtle differences in the way she spoke the names of David, Mary Margaret, Ruby, and Jefferson, than she did Killian, Lefou, and Viktor. _Who to trust, and who not to trust_ … _and Jefferson…I’m not too sure about._

Belle followed Asani into the village, and was immediately surrounded by people she knew and loved. She saw women she’d last seen as children now sporting children of their own, and was introduced to teenagers that she remembered being babies.

“Belle?! Belle?!”

Belle gasped at the sound of that beloved and dearly missed voice. “PAPA!”

Maurice, just as big and round and jolly as she remembered him, barreled through the crowd, not stopping until she was swept up into his embrace. “Belle!” he sobbed. “My darling, darling girl!”

Belle laughed and cried at once as he swung her around, just as he did when she was a child. For a moment it was like no time at all had passed, and she was still just his little girl.

“Look at you!” he said holding her away from him to better see her. “My god! You’re a woman now! That is…I _knew_ you were grown but…oh Belle, you look just like your mother.”

“Really?” she asked tearfully.

He hugged her again. “I’ve missed you so very much my girl. I wanted you back the moment you stepped onto that plane.”

“Then why?” Belle asked. “Why didn’t you come for me?”

“It was so dangerous,” Maurice said. “After…after what happened…I was so scared, Belle. But once you graduated from school, I sent for you! But in your letters you said that you didn’t want to come back, and I wanted to respect your wishes. I wanted to come visit too, but it was never the right time for you. I suppose you kept quite busy.”

“It was all Grandmother!” Belle fumed. “She intercepted our letters for years! I had no idea that you wanted me to come back! I wrote you letter after letter, begging you to send for me, but the forged letters I got back said that you still didn’t feel it was safe enough.”

“What?” Maurice exclaimed. “She…how could she do such a thing?”

“She never forgave you for running off and marrying Mama,” Belle said sadly. “I think she was just desperate to keep me from following in your footsteps.”

“She had no right!”

Belle hugged him. “No, she didn’t. But I’m here now, Papa.”

“Yes, you are, my darling. And um…is this…your young man?”

“Gaston Clayton,” Gaston introduced himself, giving a gallant bow. “So wonderful to finally meet you, Mr. French.”

For a moment Maurice looked mildly impressed, so Belle was quick to interject. “ _I manipulated him into bringing him with me to Africa,”_ she hissed in Swahili. “ _I do not like him. He is a cad and a seducer of women.”_

The surrounding people all laughed, causing Gaston to flush uncomfortably. Even Archie, who no doubt understood, was chuckling.

“Nice to meet you, too, my boy,” Maurice said, winking at Belle. “But don’t think I would ever allow my daughter to marry anyone without my approval first, and the approval of her tribe.”

“Her tribe?” Gaston spat. “What do you mean, her tribe?”

Maurice held out his hands to indicate the people around him. “No Hadithi woman may marry without the approval of the tribe. Most importantly her father - that’s me - any brothers, and her king. I believe you’ve already met Asani.”

Asani crossed his arms, pinning Gaston with a look of loathing.

Gaston sputtered in indignation before stalking away, muttering something under his breath about needing no permission from people he described with a very derogatory word.

“Worry not, Uzuri,” Asani said. “We will take care of that ape.”

“Stop, you’re giving apes a bad name,” Belle remarked wryly.

“I like it here,” Ruby exclaimed, already bedecked in beads and feathers from young women who were admiring her lithe limbs and considerable height. “But…Uzuri?”

Belle rolled her eyes. “It’s _my_ name, in Swahili. It means beauty.”

David threw back his head and laughed. “Ha! Now I have something to strike back with when you tease me about Charming.”

 

Belle left her friends in the capable hands of her welcoming family, and went with Asani to be introduced to his lovely young wife, Johari, a girl from another village. Johari greeted Belle like a long-lost sister, and excitedly showed her their home, and introduced their children, Mosi and Nea.

It was almost overwhelming, feeling so welcomed and at home. At no time in England had she _truly_ felt at home. True, she loved her friends, and enjoyed the museums and libraries and parks available there, but everywhere she went, she was followed by a sense of being constantly _watched_. Every move she made, every word she spoke, every little article of clothing she put on (or didn’t put on) was judged every moment she was in public.

A woman in England would hardly be so accepting of a strange other woman coming into her home with her husband, childhood friend or not, being hugged and kissed by him at every opportunity, the way Johari did. And no one here had looked twice at her torn, dirty petticoat tied up above her knees, not even her father.

Belle followed Johari to the large, communal hut where women normally wove fabrics and baskets. Mary Margaret and Ruby were there, stammering uncertainly at the giggling young women who were offering them brightly colored wrappers.

“They’re offering to wash your dresses,” Belle translated laughingly. “And providing you clothing to wear in the meantime.”

Mary Margaret was flushed absolutely scarlet, trying to look anywhere but the bare chests of the women surrounding them. “You weren’t joking,” she said weakly.

“Oh, don’t be such a prude, Mary Margaret,” Ruby said. “You see breasts every day when you dress. It’s not like the men are walking about naked.”

Belle chuckled. “The men are usually naked when they hunt,” she told them. “Better for camouflage.”

At this Ruby blushed as well, and Belle and Johari laughed at their discomfort.

“ _Out with you!”_ Johari shooed the other girls away. “ _Mind your chores!_ ”

Belle chose a lovely blue wrapper and didn’t hesitate to allow Johari to help her out of her multiple layers and corset, and wrapped securely in the cloth. She laughed in embarrassment when she didn’t know how to make the complicated wrap that Johari wore, with it tried around and up and over her breasts.

“I only remember tying it about my hips,” Belle said in an aside to her friends who looked on curiously.

Once fully clothed, Belle felt more comfortable than she had in years. All this time she’d been afraid she’d feel naked without her petticoats, but instead she just felt at ease. And she insisted that Mary Margaret and Ruby choose wrappers for themselves. They all emerged from the hut, with Ruby bedecked in bright red, and Mary Margaret in a beautiful pattern of black and white.

David gasped when he saw them, eyes bulging out of his head at the sight of more skin than he’d ever seen of his wife’s outside of their bedroom. “Mary Margaret!” he exclaimed.

“Don’t you like it?” Mary Margaret twirled for him. “It’s very comfortable!”

“It’s…beautiful…” he said earnestly. “Not sure I want to see you wearing that in London, but I like it!”

 

That night, Belle’s return home was celebrated in traditional Hadithi fashion; with a large fire, music, and dancing.

Gaston and his friends skulked about the shadows, watching the festivities with haughty attitudes. Belle was pretty sure she’d heard the word “barbarians” from one of them, but she paid them no mind.

Jefferson, for his part, seemed to very much enjoy himself, and didn’t hesitate to try and join their dance, caring not that he couldn’t quite catch on to the steps. He grabbed Ruby’s hand and dragged her, giggling into the foray.

It took a fair bit of remembering, but soon Belle was dancing steps and singing words she hadn’t thought of in years, and at long last, she was home, with her family, and she was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week - Belle and the Mnyama meet again!


	5. Rum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle finally comes face to face with the Mnyama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Labor Day to those like me who get today off ;) Since I'm just chilling at home, and had this chapter ready anyway, i decided to go ahead and post it!

The following morning, Belle was wondering around the village alongside her Papa, reacquainting herself with her home and catching him up on her life in London.

“I can see why you left,” she was telling him. “The myriad of rules of society…even just drinking _tea_ has rules! Always hold your cup _just so_ , never slurp, never lick your spoon…”

Maurice chuckled. “And they call us the barbarians.”

“And it _stinks!_ All of the time! Give me a herd of water buffalo any day, and it’ll smell a far sight better than the streets of London at midday.”

“I’m so happy you’re home, my dear,” Maurice said, still laughing before growing more somber. “I’m only sorry it took so long.”

Belle looped her arms through one of her father’s. “No more apologies. Besides, it’s wasn’t all bad. They have an _enormous_ public library there! Where anyone can borrow whatever book they like! And I made wonderful friends.”

Maurice smiled at her. “Yes, they seem like good people. How could they not, following you to the other side of the world…”

They were interrupted by Asani, approaching them with a wave. “Maurice! Uzuri! Jambo!”

“Sijambo, Asani,” Belle greeted fondly.

Asani was smiling, but once he reached them, Belle could see that it was somewhat strained. “Is everything okay?”

“ _You haven’t told her,”_ Asani said to Maurice.

“ _Told me what?”_ Belle demanded. “ _And do not try to speak fast to keep me from understanding. I am catching up again quickly.”_

“ _I was getting to it,”_ Maurice snapped before softening to Belle and continuing in English. “I’m sorry, my girl, I just wanted you to settle in before worrying you…”

“Does this have anything to do with that somewhat cryptic warning Asani left in your letter?”

Maurice rolled his eyes. “The boy was being dramatic. Things here have been…strange.”

“I could already tell that,” Belle said. “The guide Gaston hired almost refused to bring us here. He said that this village and the land around it is cursed.”

“Cursed,” Asani huffed. “Fine enough word I suppose.”

Belle blinked at her friend in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

Asani narrowed his eyes at her. “Do not tell me that London has erased your memory of the spirits.”

“No…” Belle hedged. “Only that, often enough, there are other, more _practical_ explanations for things. Does this have to do with the Mnyama?”

“Then you do remember. The Mnyama has guarded our jungle for many years now, but we have displeased him. We have had famine, and drought, and floods, all in the span of a handful of years. Sickness has taken our family members, babes have been born sickly and frail…those that survive.”

“That’s terrible,” Belle said. “But how could have the Mnyama done all of that?”

Asani’s pitch-black eyes darkened even further. “It all began that terrible night, when the white men raided our homes and made away with our women.”

“That…that was the fault of _men_ , Asani. Not spirits.”

“No…the Mnyama was not responsible for that. No, it was our refusal to fight them that caused the Mnyama’s displeasure. Jabali sent warriors to _help_ them poach elephants for their ivory.”

“It was a ransom to secure the return of our women,” Maurice provided.

Asani glared at the older man. “And did all of our women return?”

Maurice hung his head. “No.”

“Jabali did not fight. None of us did. And we sent Uzuri away.”

“Wait,” Belle held up a hand. “What do _I_ have to do with any of this?”

Asani gave her a look that said he thought she should have already guessed. “Mnyama drew you into the jungle that night, he kept you save within his family.”

Belle bit her lip. She had told her father and Asani of the gorillas, and seeing the Mnyama, and everything that had happened _except_ about the man who attacked her, and the Mnyama’s rescue. If Asani knew _that,_ it would probably only fuel the strange belief he seemed to have.

“And you think that by sending me away, Mnyama decided to…what? Curse you?”

“Punish us,” Asani corrected. “You are chosen by him, by the Jungle. By sending you away, it angered him, so he took his fury out on us. Beginning with Jabali.”

Belle sighed, wincing at the sting of remembering the beloved king. “Asani, Jabali died of heart failure. Mnyama didn’t do that, and Mnyama certainly didn’t seek out to punish you for _my_ departure. I’m no “chosen one.””

Asani grunted. “Deny what you will, _Mteule_. But I am King now, and I will do everything in my power to restore order.”

As Asani stormed away, Belle turned back to her father. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

Maurice sighed. “I know that in all my years here, I’ve learned that the Hadithi haven’t held on to their beliefs all these generations for nothing.”

“But spirits? Curses? Mythical beasts? You’re a man of science, Papa.”

His eyes twinkled as he smiled down at his daughter. “And _you_ used to have a much more open mind, my girl. London has made a cynic of you.”

Belle stuck her tongue out at him childishly. “It isn’t that I don’t believe in a higher power, but I just think I have to draw the line at me being some _Mteule.”_

“I don’t know, Belle. You were always…different. Special.”

Belle chuckled before reaching up to kiss his whiskered cheek. “Because I was raised by special people.”

 

Every time Gaston tried to approach Belle, he was waylaid by Asani, or any one of the other villagers. Word had spread fast, and he could hardly get within three feet of her. He finally grew too frustrated, and demanded Mr. Hopper to take the hunting party into the Jungle. Asani even offered the services of two of his best hunters to escort them. Of course Belle knew that it was only to keep an eye on them, but Gaston didn’t need to know that.

“I thought the hunting party had left,” Belle said to David, finding him sitting beside Mary Margaret, learning how to weave a basket.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes fondly. “And if they ask later, David is suffering from stomach pains.”

David grinned sheepishly. “After what happened with that gorilla, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a big game hunter.”

“I don’t blame you,” Belle said. “I hate the idea of killing one of those beautiful creatures, only to mount its head on your wall. Anyway, I’m going to the river for some water. Ruby, do you want to come?”

But Ruby was in the middle of having beads strung into her hair. “Ow,” she muttered, frowning at the young girl. “Can it wait a few minutes?”

Belle chuckled. “No, I think you’ll be there a while. It’s alright, I won’t be but a moment.”

“Is it safe?” Mary Margaret asked, her brow furrowing as she eyed the treeline worriedly. “Going into the jungle alone?”

“It isn’t far,” Belle said. “I’ve done it since I was a girl. Don’t worry!”

“I don’t think she knows _how_ not to worry,” David said, pressing a quick kiss to his wife’s head.

Belle smiled with a shake of her head and took up her basin, skipping barefoot through the soft grass toward the cool shade of the trees.

She went straight to the river, but once she was there, she paused, listening to the soothing sounds of nature around her. The gentle trickle of water, the birds fluttering about the branches above, the occasional call of a howler monkey. She sat back against a rock for a moment, closing her eyes and recalling how her mother used to be able to pick out the different calls of different birds.

She left her basin beside the rock and began to wander slowly, deeper into the jungle, idly touching trees and flowers along her way with one hand, and her locket with the other.

A chattering caught her attention, and she looked through some leaves to see a tiny pigmy marmoset, sitting on a low branch, tearing into a piece of fruit.

She crouched down to watch, grinning all the while. She didn’t know how long she sat there, but suddenly the marmoset sat up straight, and in a blink was gone into the trees.

Figuring it must have finally noticed her, Belle shrugged and stood back up, stretching her arms above her head.

All at once, though, she became aware of a stillness in the air. The birds, the monkeys, they all were quiet. Even the wind seemed like it had stopped blowing through the leaves.

Belle rubbed the goosebumps from her forearm and started picking her way back to the river, all the while feeling like she was being watching. She wondered if it was perhaps the Mnyama again, but it didn’t quite _feel_ the same as it had before. She felt less like she was being observed, more like she was being…stalked.

She cursed herself for wandering too far again, as it was taking too long to get back to the river. Memories of that horrid night came back again, and she tried to take steadying breaths and concentrated on just getting back to the river.

Once she heard the babble of water, she sighed in relief; she was halfway back home. All she needed to do was grab her basin, and it was another fifteen minutes back to the village. Eight, if she ran.

Then all of a sudden, there was a crash and explosion of activity. A jaguar burst out of the brush, tearing straight for her.

She had no time to run, or even scream, only cower down and hope for a swift death, but then the jaguar was knocked away by a figure quite literally _swinging_ down from the trees.

Belle looked up in shock to see the jaguar turn its attention to the newcomer. It leapt up with a snarl, but the Mnyama was ready, catching the big cat’s body and throwing it over his shoulder with more strength than should have been possible.

The jaguar hit the trunk of a tree and slumped; stunned, but not unconscious.

Before Belle could hope to react, a strong arm was wrapped around her waist and she was being hauled over a shoulder, then carried up a tree at an inhuman speed.

“Whoa…wait…no!” she stammered, watching the ground get farther and farther away.

The jaguar, now appearing more angry than hungry anymore, leapt up the tree straight for them, and Belle was bodily tossed about like a sack of fruit until she was positioned on the Mnyama’s back, her arms around his neck.

To her astonishment and utter fear, he jumped right out of the tree, grabbing hold of a vine at the last second and swung.

Belle held her breath, feeling her stomach flop as they soared from one tree to another, and then the Mnyama’s powerful arms were reaching for another vine, and all she could do was just hold on for dear life.

The jaguar didn’t give up, and it hit the ground running, staying directly under them. When the Mnyama inevitably ran out of vines he could swing on, the jaguar made its move, scaling the tree like it was nothing.

Belle was no longer able to keep up with the way the Mnyama was evading the big cat through countless branches and trees. It all blurred together until the cat finally caught up, swiping at her back.

She felt only the barest scratch of claws as the Mnyama spun around, taking the brunt of the attack as all three of them tumbled out of the tree toward the ground.

He managed to catch them before they hit, and Belle was able to safely roll off his back before scuttling away on her hands and knees.

She sat up and watched as the Mnyama and the jaguar circled one another carefully, both snarling with teeth bared.

The jaguar leapt first, and a cry of alarm burst from Belle’s lips, but the Mnyama struck out with a fist, catching the cat on the nose. The jaguar fell back, shaking its head. When it made to attack again, the Mnyama crouched down on all fours and let out a terrifying yell, one that was neither human nor animal-like; completely his own.

The jaguar finally hesitated, still growling, but finally it turned away. And just like that, the jaguar was gone, and it was over.

Belle just sat, breathing heavily, wide eyes glued to the place the jaguar had been. The Mnyama was still as well, his back facing her. But slowly he turned, and Belle’s eyes were drawn to him, seeing him clearly for the first time.

He was completely human in shape; a wiry form with lean, but obviously powerful muscles, and arms that were perhaps a little longer than usual. But that was all compacted in a rather petite body. He had long, shaggy hair, but no beard, and almost no other body hair at all.

It was his skin, of course, that really set him apart. He was truly green in color, with what looked like scales that shimmered golden in the light. He was also heavily scarred, with numerous wounds of varying age tattooing his body, not even counting the fresh scratches across his chest and back.

As he turned to face her fully, rising to his feet, Belle was suddenly made very aware of just _how much_ of that shimmering, scarred skin she was able to see.

He was completely naked; and was _most certainly_ a man. Due to her early upbringing, Belle was no stranger to the male form, but her last sight of a naked male had been when she’d still been young enough to not care one way or the other. Now, Belle was all too aware of that particular part of his anatomy that she was trying _very_ hard not to look at.

He knelt before where she still sat, assuming a stance exactly like a gorilla, with his knuckles braced on the ground. Belle was arrested by his unnaturally large eyes. They were gold, and quite beautiful, and stared at her in a mixture of curiosity and awe.

He shuffled closer, and she had to pull up her knees to keep him from crawling over them. He slowly brought his face closer, and she held still, though she winced in nervousness.

“Wh…what are you doing?” she whispered, but he only stared at her mouth in wonder.

He leaned over her knees, and to her surprise, and slight discomfort, began _sniffing_ at her.

He moved over her face, then down her neck, snuffling all the way, and Belle squirmed uncertainly, fighting back a shiver.

_He_ smelled like gorilla, sweat, and something else entirely. It _should_ have been incredibly unpleasant. Belle imagined that his stained teeth alone _should_ be putrid, but amazingly, she found she didn’t mind his scent at all. What did that say about her?

He was still smelling her, working his way down her body, lingering an embarrassing amount of time at her underarm. She let him do as he wished, recognizing the very animal behavior of learning about her, and sensing nothing from him but simple curiosity. But then his head moved farther south, and before she could react, he was pushing her legs down and pressing his face right at the apex of her legs and inhaling deep.

“HEY!” she shrieked, kicking out with both legs instinctively, catching him under his chin.

He scrambled back fearfully, ducking his head and retreating back into the brush.

“No! Don’t go!” she called, climbing unsteadily to her feet, mentally kicking herself. He hadn’t _meant_ anything by it. He clearly had little knowledge of human behavior. Had he lived his whole life in the wilderness?

He hadn’t run far, and Belle found him crouched in the bushes, peering up at her from beneath long lashes.

“ _I’m sorry,”_ Belle said softly in Swahili. She was unsure if he even had a language at all, but thought the most local one would be the best place to start. If nothing else, perhaps her tone of voice would reach him. “ _I won’t hurt you…please…come out.”_

She held out her hand, and after a moment of hesitation, he tentatively reached out and took it.

The skin of his palm was warm and dry, and rough with numerous calluses. He allowed her to lead him back into the open, eyes never straying from her face.

“ _There now…don’t be afraid,”_ she led him over to a downed tree to sit, still studiously keeping her eyes above his waist.

“Who are you?” she asked in English, hardly expecting him to answer. “I know you’re no… _Mnyama_.”

He blinked in what looked like recognition at that.

“Have you heard that before? But you’re not a beast, you’re a man. A…very different man…but I know you’re human. How did you come to live here?”

He stared intensely at her mouth all while she spoke, and she saw him begin to work his own, as if attempting to mimic her.

“Are…are you trying to speak? Do you have a name? My name is Belle,” she pressed a palm to her chest and formed the name deliberately with her lips. “Belle.”

She watched his face scrunch up in concentration, and a guttural sound bubbled from his throat. “B…ll.”

“That’s it!” she exclaimed, startling him. “Sorry…I just…you _can_ speak! Try again… _Belle_.”

“Beh…ll.”

Belle giggled excitedly, and her pleasure must have been clear, because he preened in response.

“Beh-ll” he repeated, more confidently.

“That’s wonderful! Now, what about you? Do _you_ have a name?” she gestured to herself again. “Belle,” she reached over and lightly touched his chest, then tilted her head to the side questioningly.

His face scrunched up again, and he looked off to the side, as if trying to remember. “R…” he said, with a roll of his tongue.

“R…” Belle echoed.

He fidgeted in agitation, and Belle worried that he was growing too frustrated. “R…mmm…”

Belle wracked her mind, but couldn’t think of any name that would begin with those sounds. “R...um? You know, you sort of remind me of a drawing I saw in a book once, of the fairy tale character Rumplestiltskin. What if I just called you Rum?”

He titled his head; a question, and she touched her chest and then his again. “Belle…Rum?”

A hesitant, little smile lifted his features, softening them, and making Belle wonder just how old he was. “Be…lle…” he said, laying a heavy hand on her shoulder before bringing it back to beat lightly against his chest. “Rmm.”

“Yes! Wonderful, Rum!”

“BELLE!”

They both jumped at the sound of her name, being called by David and Maurice.

“Don’t worry,” Belle said, placing a hand on his arm to calm him. “It’s only my friend, and my father. They won’t hurt you.”

Rum didn’t look convinced however, and she knew that he was about to flee any moment.

“I’ll come back,” she told him, hoping he would somehow understand. “Will you be here?”

“Belle,” he said, even more clearly than before, and she was struck by the raw affection in his tone.

Belle smiled at him and stood, backing away until she bumped into a tree. By the time she turned to look at it, then back at Rum, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me life :D


	6. Mteule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asani is becoming more desperate, and Belle seeks out our favorite imp again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I weathered Hurricane Irma with no damage to my house or anything, but I did have to deal with 4 days without power. (Just got it back yesterday evening!) I'm lucky though, I know people who don't expect theirs back till at least Sunday. Linemen from all over the country are down here though, working 24 hours a day to get the state up and running again! Thanks for all your nice comments! I'm rewarding you with another cute encounter between Belle and Rum, lol. I've made some minor alterations to the story, so if there are more typos than usual, that's why.

“I’m _telling_ you! He’s not a…a _creature_ , or a beast, he’s a human _man_.”

“But you just said that he was _green_ ,” Ruby argued. “With _scales_.”

“And that he can swing from trees like a monkey,” David added.

“And has nearly inhuman strength if he can take on a wild animal like that, bare-handed.” said Mary Margaret.

Belle sighed. “I didn’t say he was _normal_ , I just said that he’s _human_. He must be…I don’t know, deformed somehow. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for his appearance, and strength can be developed. As for his behavior, he must have been living out there his whole life. I think the gorillas must have raised him from a child.”

“What makes you think that?” Mary Margaret asked.

Belle and her three friends were lounging beside the river, David holding a makeshift fishing pole above the gently rushing water. She’d led them a little away from the village to speak to them without Asani or anyone else catching word.

“I saw him before,” she said quietly. “The night of the attack. He was with them…a whole family of gorillas…” she peered up from under her lashes, taking a breath. “He’s who saved me…from that man…”

“Does your father and Asani know about that?” Ruby asked.

“About seeing him with the gorillas, yes, but not the other part. I was only ten, I was confused and scared by what had happened, and with the loss of my mother and everything else…I just never told anyone.”

“Well, are you going to tell them about him?”

Belle rubbed the tension in the back of her neck. “No…not yet at least. Asani is convinced that I’m some Mteule. The last thing I want is to give him fodder for _that_ thought.”

“Mahtay what now?” David echoed.

“It means _chosen one_ ,” Belle said wryly. “He thinks I’m “chosen” by the jungle, and one of the reasons the so-called Mnyama is punishing them is because they sent me to London.”

Ruby arched a sculpted eyebrow. “And aren’t you? “Chosen” I mean? Your _Rum_ has been running around for long enough that there are old legends about him, and no one has ever done more than glimpse him. But in less than a day, you’ve befriended him, named him, and even discovered that he can speak. Not even accounting for what happened when you were a kid.”

“Maybe I’m just the first one who didn’t run at the sight of him,” Belle defended. “People have wrapped him up in legend and myth, made him into a god at best, and a demon at worst. No one else seems to see that he’s just a…a _person_. Even if he’s not…wholly human after all, that doesn’t make him any less of a person.”

“So…” Ruby droned, flicking a bug off of her shoulder. “What are you going to do? Miss _Mteule?”_

Belle awoke in the small tent she shared with Ruby to the sounds of people crying out in dismay.

The new crop of vegetables that had just come up the day before lay in ruin. It looked as if an entire army of rabbits had come in one fell swoop and devoured the lot.

“ _It took many weeks to cultivate this plot!”_ the woman who had been overseeing the crop wailed. _“We may not survive the dry season without it!”_

_“Be easy,”_ Asani spoke gently, but Belle could see the frustration behind his eyes. “ _There is still plenty of time before the dry season is upon us. We can seek assistance from our neighbors if we must.”_

_“No one will help us,”_ a young man sneered. _“Other tribes, and even the white missionaries have forsaken us. We must_ leave _if we wish to escape this curse with our lives.”_

The young man, barely more than a boy, shrank back when Asani turned a fiery look on him. “ _I will not abide such talk of leaving!”_ Asani said, not shouting, but getting his meaning across just as well. “ _This has been our people’s home for hundreds of years, and I will not give up so easily!”_ he turned to face the gathered people at large, speaking more loudly. _“My brothers and sisters, please! There is no cause to panic! Your king will do what he must to appease the gods, and the Mnyama, and bring back order!”_

His speech seemed to pacify all but the oldest villagers, but they too turned back to their homes and work.

“Can’t you just plant the crop again?” Belle asked. “There’s plenty of seed left, it looks like, and should be enough time to get it back up before the dry season.”

“And what is to stop Mnyama from destroying our next crop?” Asani snapped, before rubbing his face. “Forgive me, sister. I should not speak to you so. I had only hoped that by bringing you home, Mnyama would cease his revenge.”

Belle shook her head. “Asani, that… _being_ in the jungle, he’s not some god or spirit with the power to damn you. _This_ looks like the work of some industrious animals.”

_“Sent by Mnyama!”_ Asani argued.

“Ok, fine,” Belle huffed, frustrated that she couldn’t make her friends see reason. “What are you going to do then? Hm? Offer up a sacrifice? Write a letter?” she continued one mockingly, “Dear Mr. Mnyama, whatever discord you have with my tribe, I ask that you…”

“ _I will do what I must!”_ Asani roared, taking Belle by such surprise that she took an involuntary step back. He didn’t apologize this time, and they stared one another down until Johari arrived, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder.

“ _Asani,”_ she said soothingly.

All at once Asani’s tense shoulders fell, and he turned without another word, stalking off in the direction of the communal hut where the leaders of the tribe met. Johari shot Belle an apologetic look before following him.

 

With everyone so distracted, it wasn’t all that hard to slink back into the jungle.

Perhaps if she reached out to Rum again, maybe worked on bringing him to the village, she could prove to Asani and everyone else that he was no beast, or angered god. And then they could work toward _real_ solutions to their problems.

And also…she perhaps simply wanted to see him again.

She walked slowly once she reached the river, keeping her eyes and ears open, not wanting a repeat of their last meeting.

“Hello?” she called softly. “Rum? Are you out there?”

She continued on, hearing only the birds and various other animals and insects. When she reached the bend of the river, she knew that any farther would be out of Hadithi territory, and way too far for her to wander alone. Asani and her father would have her hide as it was if they knew she was this far alone.

Sighing in frustration, she turned to make the long walk back home, when a figure fell out of the sky to land almost soundlessly at her feet.

Belle couldn’t stop the squeak of alarm or the leap backwards as Rum crouched before her, staring up at her with those too-large eyes.

“Rum!” she gasped, holding a hand to her chest, feeling it near to beating out of it.

“Belle,” he replied, his voice soft but raspy.

She grinned at him. “You’re getting better. I’ve been looking for you.”

Rum cocked his head at her, and she wondered why she kept talking at him like he understood her. But it seemed to fascinate him, if the way he watched her mouth was any indication, and it would certainly feel strange to just stand around with him saying nothing.

Now that she’d found him, she wasn’t sure what to do with him. She couldn’t very well invite him to come back with her, nor did she want to try and make him follow her. She didn’t want to do anything to damage the tentative trust they’d built.

Rum seemed to make a decision for both of them, and stood up to his full height, which still wasn’t all that much taller than herself. The Hadithi were a tall race of people, both men and women. And even in England where women weren’t traditionally all that tall, Belle still usually stood a head shorter than everyone. But Rum was small for a man, not that it made any difference in how incredibly strong he was.

He held his hand out to her, beckoning, and without a second thought Belle took it.

He led her over to where a thick vine hung from so high that Belle couldn’t even see where it was attached to a tree. He gave it a quick pull to test its strength, then beckoned to her again.

Belle hesitated, unsure of what he was asking, but he held out his arm and wiggled his fingers and she froze completely.

Up until that moment, she’d been studiously ignoring his state of nakedness. She was _not_ some swooning, prudish miss. She had seen men and boys at all stages of undress growing up, and despite the difficulty, had managed to get ahold of some _very_ informative books over the years.

But fifteen years of being conditioned to keep her body covered, and that a lady should not dare to look upon a man she was not wed to had unfortunately taken effect. For goodness sakes, among the upper-class society Belle’s grandmother had been a part of, it wasn’t even seemly to see a man’s bare chest.

So, although Belle was determined to pay no mind to Rum’s lack of clothes, it was an _entirely_ other matter to willingly go into his arms the way he was asking, when they weren’t even in danger.

“Belle,” he said, looking up at the trees then back at her. His wide eyes were imploring, and he looked so sweet and earnest…

Biting her lip and mentally bracing herself, she stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around him; one arm over one of his shoulders, and one arm under the other in an awkward hug.

He gave her back a soft pat, and then she felt them being lifted off the ground. In her desire not to disappoint him, she realized she hadn’t thought things through very much…as the ground was getting very far away…

She tightened her grip, forgetting all about the awkwardness of their position and wrapping her legs around his thighs. He tensed slightly, and made a soft grunting noise, but continued climbing.

Once the initial fear faded, she was brought back to their position, and she had never wished more for her layers of petticoats in her life, because through her thin wrapper she could feel _everything_.

“Oh my…” she whispered.

After what felt like forever, they breached through a layer of branches and trees to what looked like a completely other world, suspended far above the ground.

Rum maneuvered them both onto a branch wide enough that they could stand side-by-side with room to spare. But she didn’t release him, still all-too aware that they were a hundred feet high.

He didn’t make her let go, but patted her comfortingly. “Belle.”

She finally pulled back to look around properly. Birds – hundreds of them – all difference species, were flitting about the leaves. Rays of golden sun peeked through, making little twinkling lights everywhere the birds flew.

Belle gasped, utterly taken by the sight and look back at Rum, only to gasp again. The sunbeams reflected off his strange skin spectacularly, giving him a soft, golden glow.

His eyes, so big and expressive, sparkled as well. She allowed her eyes to travel below his face, to watch the lights play off the textured skin of his chest. In her distraction, her gaze wondered inevitably lower, and unintentionally confirmed with herself that she _wasn’t_ imagining the fact that he was a little bit…excited by their previous position.

So _that’s_ what that looked like.

Blushing hotly, her eyes snapped back to his face, mortified. But he looked completely unconcerned, and didn’t even appear to notice his own…state. And why would he? He had never been _taught_ that nakedness was wrong, or that arousal was something to be hidden and embarrassed of. He was completely, totally, innocent. And he didn’t even look intent on _doing_ anything about it, either, which was a relief, even though she fully believed he wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, smiling, trying to control her blushes.

He stared hard at her mouth again, and she watched in delighted shock as the corners of his mouth twitched upward, but uncertainly, like he was _trying_ to smile!

She was unable to hold back her giggle, but instead of covering her mouth with her hand the way she’d been taught, she just allowed herself to laugh, and then some more when he tried to copy.

He made a gurgling, hissing noise, his mouth curled into something that was more like a snarl.

She realized dimly that a smile, to a gorilla, would look like a threat. But Rum had appeared to work out that wasn’t what she meant. She wondered, not for the first time, just how much exposure to people he’d had.

Belle sat down, and Rum perched in front of her, dangling one leg off of the branch as if falling wasn’t certain death.

Thinking back on when she would watch her mother teach small children to speak English, she patted the branch they sat on. “Tree,” she said.

Rum straightened, understanding immediately. “Trrreee.”

Belle nodded excitedly, and the smile that quirked Rum’s lips came almost naturally.

“Bird.”

“Bah-rd.”

Belle squinted her eyes at him. “Strange. You almost have your own accent.”

She reached over to him, and he flinched slightly, but didn’t move away as she lightly touched his face. Her finger trailed down the bridge of his prominent nose before tapping the end of it. “Nose.”

He reached over and copied her touch, lightly tapping her nose. “Nooose.”

“Ear.”

“Earrr.”

“Mouth.”

When he mirrored her, tracing his finger along the outside of her lips, she flushed, feeling the feather-light touch like it was all over her. “M-ow-thhh.”

She pulled back a little then, feeling oddly overwhelmed, but not at all sure _why_.

Rum frowned and held up his hand, his palm out toward her.

Belle pressed her palm to his, noting how his practically dwarfed her own. “Hand.”

“Hhh-nd.”

“Very good, Rum.”

“Vr…gud…Rum.”

 

Eventually, the sun began to go down, and Belle motioned for Rum to take her back down, which he did right away. He followed her all the way to the edge of the trees, near the place she saw him for the first time.

“Will you come with me?” she asked, trying to pantomime him following her into the village.

It took a moment, but once he understood what she was asking, his eyes went round and he began backing away.

“Oh no! I’m sorry…” she clutched his hand. “Please, don’t run away. You don’t have to go there if you don’t want to.”

He frowned at her, but ceased retreating.

She sighed. “I wish you could tell me who you are, where you came from.”

“Belle,” he whispered.

Belle nodded. “That’s right. I’m here. And I’ll come back. You’ll be here, won’t you?”

He rumbled a sound that might have been _“here,”_ or maybe it was just her imagination.

The sun was almost gone, and there would be a search party out any moment. “Goodnight, Rum.”

“Gud…net.”

Belle turned and hurried down the hill, worried if she turned back to look at him, she wouldn’t leave him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on, some drama is on the horizon...


	7. Kill the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaston and the hunters return, with alarming news.

It wasn’t always easy to sneak away. Asani seemed to be everywhere, and always watching her. She wasn’t sure what he’d _do_ if he caught her meeting with Rum, but until Rum was more comfortable with the idea of being around people, she didn’t want to find out. Her father, too, was keeping a careful eye on her. It ate at her to deceive them, but there was little help for it.

Rum was always in the same spot she left him in. Even if she left him somewhere different than the day before, it was always where they last saw one another that she would find him again. She’d begun to bring little treats; books, candies from England that she’d meant for the children, and even some toys that she’d borrowed from those same children to show him. He was always enraptured by everything she brought with such a childlike wonder that completely belied his age.

“No, like this,” she giggled, trying to show him that the point of the game was to get the little ball into the cup without using one’s hands. She laughed all the more as he clumsily attempted to accomplish the task, which only led to him huffing at her petulantly and tossing the toy away.

“Now, none of that!” Belle scolded, but mentally reminded herself not to speak to him like a child. “My father made this, and I intend to return it to the little girl I borrowed it from.”

She knew he recognized her displeased tone, but he didn’t cease scowling at her, and it actually pleased her more than it probably should that he had a strong will after all, and _didn’t_ seek only to please her.

Belle felt something hit the back of her head and she yelped, throwing up a hand to cover the sting. She spun around to find Rum smiling at her with what could only be mischievousness, and she looked down to see a tiny, smooth pebble at her feet.

“Why…you…” she stammered, gasping in mock outrage. She snatched up the same pebble and threw it at him as hard as she could. When it bounced harmlessly off his hand that he used to ward it off, she picked up a handful of leaves and dirt and hurled that at him instead.

What that led to was a riotous battle as the two fought over who could rub more debris into the other’s hair. Rum, of course, won.

He ended up holding her down while she howled in laughter, but she didn’t miss the fact that she could have easily broken away from him if she tried. He _knew_ how strong he was, and knew how to keep it in check, so not to hurt her.

Exhausted from their play, she sat with her back to him at the river and let him pick bits of leaves and sticks from her hair, smiling to herself that they must have looked like a pair of gorillas grooming one another that way.

He treated her long hair like it was spun gold, carefully detangling it so that it didn’t pull. She would have been lying if she said she didn’t rather enjoy having his long fingers weaving through her hair…but then it was simply pleasurable to have one’s hair done. It hardly mattered _who_ did it.

After some time, his hands stopped, and she realized she had closed her eyes in bliss. She opened them to find Rum leaning over her shoulder, looking at her with an expression she couldn’t hope to decipher.

“Thank you,” she said, feeling relaxed and lazy.

“Thnk-oo,” he echoed, and Belle honestly wasn’t sure if he was just copying her…or not.

It was rather late when she returned to the village, and she had to sneak into her tent before anyone noticed she’d been gone. Judging by the look on Ruby’s face as she looked her up and down, Belle knew she hadn’t done a good enough job of cleaning up.

 

“Where ya headed?” Ruby sing-songed following morning.

Belle jumped, turning around guiltily. “Going to get water…”

“Uh huh, there’s plenty of water here. You’re off to see your wildman lover aren’t you? Can I come?”

Belle rolled her eyes. “Ruby, please, he is _not_ any sort of _lover_. And no, you can’t come. He’s flighty enough as it is. He’s not ready to be introduced to anyone else.”

Ruby snorted. “Please, you just want to keep him all for yourself don’t you? Is he handsome? What does he even _wear_ anyway? A loincloth? Are you blushing? Does…does he wear _anything_?!”

Belle stomped forward to slap a hand over her friend’s mouth. “Hush! Will you? Of _course_ he doesn’t wear anything; he doesn’t know any better! But you just get those sordid thoughts _out_ of your mind, Ruby Lucas, because it _isn’t like that_.”

“Isn’t like what?” Mary Margaret asked, coming around a hut with David in tow.

“Nothing!” Belle squeaked. “What are you guys doing here?”

David hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Clayton and his crew are back. And they’re all going crazy over something…we thought maybe you should go find out.”

Belle swallowed the sudden lump of worry in her throat and took off toward the village center, where she could already hear a commotion.

“You should have seen it!” Gaston was crowing to Maurice. “It was hideous!”

“It looked like a damned crocodile, walking about like a man!” Killian said.

“Oh no…” Belle whispered, feeling Ruby grab hold of her hand.

“You _saw_ the Mnyama?” Maurice asked in disbelief.

“Few have ever laid eyes on the Mnyama,” Asani said, crossing his arms, his dark eyes finding Belle easily in the crowd.

“See it?” Gaston exclaimed. “The monster attacked us!”

“What?!” Belle exclaimed.

“My darling Belle!” Gaston cried, coming over as if to embrace her, and pretending not to notice when she cringed away. “Fear not, the beast didn’t harm me.”

“What are you _talking_ about?” Belle demanded. “What do you mean, he _attacked_ you?”

Gaston shook his head, his eyes wide and haunted. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life. He just… _appeared_ , as if out of nowhere! Carroll, Hopper, and one of the boys had gone to get water. Hopper insisted we stay in groups, right? By God, four men should have been enough to face him…”

“Where is Kafara?” Asani demanded, asking after one of the two hunters he’d sent on the group. All that could be seen was the other one, Hami, Kafara’s younger brother, who looked like he was about to be sick.

Gaston shook his head, then covered his face with his hands. “The Mnyama…he was too strong, too fast…I…I couldn’t save him!”

“NO!” Belle cried, drowned out by the villagers as they burst into shouts of horror and disbelief

“What happened exactly?” Maurice asked, gripping Gaston’s shoulder tightly. “What brought on the attack?”

“Brought on?!” Killian broke in. “We weren’t even on the hunt, mate! We were coming back! That’s why our guns weren’t in our hands! That animal just attacked out of nowhere!”

“Where is he?!” Asani shouted. “Where is his body?!”  
“G…gone…” Lefou stammered, face pale. “It dragged the boy’s body into the jungle.”

“I tried to stop him,” Gaston said, looking near to tears, and _that_ was more than enough for Belle’s suspicions to rise. Gaston _loathed_ a man who cried. “I’m so sorry, your highness. I feared for my life, and for the lives of the others…”

“It’s not true!” Belle exclaimed, turning to Jefferson, who stood by, his lips drawn into a thin line. “Tell them it isn’t true!”

“I didn’t see it happen,” Jefferson admittedly darkly. “Archie, Hami, and I _did_ go to get water. By the time we returned, the camp was in shambles, and Kafara was gone. Nothing left but some blood.”

“I _did_ get one shot in,” Gaston said proudly. “Wasn’t a fatal shot, but if we’re lucky maybe the bugger will bleed out.”

Belle, feeling her heart plummet even as her stomach seemed to want to lurch out of her throat.

“That’s not enough,” Asani hissed. “It is time to end this.”

“ _What are you saying?”_ Johari asked worriedly.

“ _I am saying that it is time for action. I will not sit by while my people die, not like Jabali.”_

“What are you going to do?!” Belle asked, following as her friend made his way to his hut.

He ducked in, and emerged moments later with beaded armor over his chest, a helmet made from the skull of a lion atop his head, and a spear in his hand.

“N…no, you can’t!” Belle cried. “You can’t kill him! He didn’t _do_ this! He couldn’t!”

“Uzuri is right!” Johari said. “You cannot! Yesterday you say the Mnyama must be appeased, and today you seek to kill him?”

Asani returned to where Gaston was still regaling the people of the _harrowing_ experience. “You! You will lead me to where you shot the Mnyama, and I will finish the job.”

Gaston scowled. “I’ll lead you there, but I’m not about to stand by and let _you_ get all the glory. Let’s just say, may the best man win?”

“Fine,” Asani hissed.

“Asani _please_ ,” Belle begged. “You’re not thinking clearly, you…”

“ _You will not tell me how I think,_ Isabelle _,”_ Asani said, spinning to face her. “ _And you_ will _remain in the village_. _You think I do not know how you sneak off, just as you always did. I had hoped perhaps your presence there would soothe the beast, but the time for that is over. Unless you know where we can find him…”_

Belle shook her head, taking a step back, barely able to believe that this was her childhood friend. “No. I never found him.”

“ _I am coming too,”_ Hami said, still looking drawn and ill, but Asani nodded all the same. Hami’s father joined in, tears in his eyes. Killian and Lefou went too, but Archie and Jefferson stayed behind.

“I’m so sorry, Belle,” Ruby whispered tearfully.

“He _couldn’t_ have done this!” Belle insisted, wiping angrily at her own tears. She stalked away from the crowd, leaving her friends to follow her. “Rum wouldn’t attack anyone like that, certainly not unprovoked.”

“How can you be so sure?” David asked. “Yes, you’ve spent time with him, but what do you really know about him? You say he behaves like an animal, well animals are unpredictable and dangerous.”

“He’s _not_ an animal!” Belle screamed, all but standing on her tip toes to get closer to his face. “He was brought up like one, but he _is_ a man! You haven’t seen what I’ve seen. He knows he’s strong, and he knows how to control it! He could have hurt me any number of times, even accidentally, but he hasn’t! He wouldn’t!”

“Maybe he…I dunno, sees you as some sort of mate. That _doesn’t_ mean he’s not capable of hurting others, or even killing. Look, I’d be first to bet that the attack wasn’t as unprovoked as Clayton let on, but that doesn’t change the fact that a man is _dead_ Belle! If a lion or something killed one of the Hadithi, what would happen? Or if _anyone_ killed someone?”

“They’d be killed,” Belle whispered. “But Rum didn’t _kill_ anyone!”

“She may be right,” Jefferson said, approaching them from behind one of the huts. “I have a very bad feeling about what _really_ happened out there. So does Archie.”

“Then why didn’t you say something?” Belle demanded.

“Because first, it’s my word against theirs, and second, if the Mynama _was_ shot like they said he was, then someone needs to get to him before _they_ do, and I know what path they’re taking.”

“You’ll lead me?” Belle asked hopefully.

“No way!” David said. “After what he _may or may not_ have done?”

“David’s right,” Mary Margaret said. “It’s too much of a risk!”

“It’s a man’s _life_ ,” Belle insisted desperately. “If I can find him, help him, _talk_ to him. I know I can prove that he’s innocent.”

 “We’re going to need medical supplies,” Jefferson said. “I can stitch him up, but I need the tools to do so.”

“Why do you want to help him?” Belle asked, unable to help from being skeptical.

“Well, I don’t wish to see his head mounted upon a wall!” he exclaimed. “How gruesome! Will you accept my help or not?”

Belle glanced at her friends, who each gave her a look that said it was her choice. “Alright then, let’s go.”

 

 

The bulk of the villagers were still in the center, preparing to send the hunters off, so Belle was able to skirt easily around them and into her father’s hut, where his medical supplies were.

She began stuffing any and everything she thought might be useful into a canvas pouch.

“Belle?” Maurice said, entering the hut. “You’re going after the Mnyama, aren’t you?”

“Don’t try to stop me, Papa,” Belle said, not bothering to stop or look up.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” he said. “But I should come with you.”

Belle did look up then, and smiled lovingly at her father. “No, Papa. You’re needed here more, especially with Asani leaving. Perhaps you could waylay them somehow, long enough to give us a head start.”

Maurice sighed. “I can try. That poor boy is trying his best, but he’s scared.”

“I understand that,” Belle said. “I can hardly imagine having the weight of the safety of the entire village on my shoulders. But as Jabali always said, a man does not rule alone. He needs to stop turning away the counsel of those around him.”

Maurice shook his head. “Unfortunately, these are his mistakes to make. I just hope he’s careful out there. I don’t trust that Clayton as far as I can throw him. How will you find the Mnyama?”

“Jefferson is leading us.”

“And you trust him?”

Belle hesitated. “I do. For now, at least.”

“But Belle, what if this creature is dangerous?”

“He’s _not_ dangerous, Papa! Not to me, at least.”

“And just how do you know that? You _have_ been out there to see him, haven’t you?”

“How did you know?”

Maurice rolled his eyes. “You’re not as sneaky as you think, Belle my dear. You never were.”

He turned and looked out the doorway. “There isn’t much daylight left. I’ll try and talk to Asani, and perhaps see if I can have Clayton regale us with more tales of his prowess. That ought to give you a few…hours.”

Belle launched forward to throw her arms around her father and kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Papa!”

“Please be careful, my dear girl. And take the bottle of iodine.”

 

When Belle went back outside, the village was in a downright frenzy. Asani stood by, arms crossed and eyes dark as Gaston continued to rile everyone up, particularly the younger men. The older people didn’t look quite so convinced, but none would speak out against.

“You’re not safe until his head is mounted on my wall! I say we kill the beast!”

Belle shook her head, sick at heart to see the people she saw as family behave in such a way. She would show them, though. If they could only meet Rum, they would see. Perhaps not Gaston and his cronies, but his opinion hardly mattered to her.

They wouldn’t leave immediately. She knew Asani would not ignore tradition of prayer and dance before such a task was undertaken, so she turned and headed back to where she told Jefferson she would meet him, unable to even entertain the thought that she might not make it to Rum in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum bum bum! Do you think Belle will get to Rum in time?!
> 
> As I think I mentioned before, I changed a couple of details in the story, and have been rewriting to reflect that. If you happen to come across something contradictory, or doesn't quite make sense in the next couple of chapters, feel free to point it out. It's un-betaed so bear with me! And thanks SO MUCH for the continued support! It means the world!


	8. Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and her friends find Rum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit on the shorter side, so if I have time, I may try to get an extra chapter up this weekend!

When Belle reached the edge of the village, she found Jefferson waiting on her, along with David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby, all sporting packs and supplies, and looking prepared for a long trek.

“ _You’re_ all coming?” Belle asked, eyeing Mary Margaret extra dubiously. The demure woman was exceedingly brave in coming all the way to Africa, and while she seemed content enough living relatively rough in the village, she’d shown no interest whatsoever in venturing into the wilderness, not even to see a herd of giraffes that had been nearby a few days prior.

“You think we’d let you go alone?” Ruby asked, slinging a lantern to hang over her shoulder before jerking her head at Jefferson. “With just _him_ for protection?”

Belle shook her head. “If they were to notice we’re all gone…if _Gaston_ notices...”

“As long as Clayton has an audience, he won’t care about anything else,” Jefferson said, and David nodded in agreement.

Not wanting to take the time to argue further, Belle led the way to the treeline.

 

They walked deep into the Jungle, past where the river met the mountain, far out of Hadithi territory. “You shouldn’t have even been out this far,” Belle said to Jefferson.

“That was what our Hadithi guides said,” Jefferson said. “You can probably imagine how well Clayton listened to _them_. This was our campsite. Archie, Hami, and I went over that way to get water, and we heard quite a ruckus, followed by gunshot.”

Belle paused and looked around, but was unable to see much at all in the early darkness that descended beneath the canopy.

“I don’t think he would have gone too far,” Belle said. “Not if he was hurt. Come on.”

She turned back the way they’d come, straining her eyes for a glint of golden green. “Rum!” she called. “Rum, come out! It’s me, Belle!”

“Rum?” Jefferson asked.

“It’s what I call him,” she said distractedly. “Rum!”

“What doesn’t add up for me,” said David. “Is if _Rum_ didn’t take Kafara, what happened to the body? Even if Clayton and his lackeys did something they’re not telling us about, surely they wouldn’t have had time to dispose of the body before you got back.”

“We didn’t exactly stick around,” Jefferson admitted. “When we came back to the campsite, the others were practically in hysterics, and Clayton was preparing to take off after the Mnyama alone. It was only our shortage of supplies that convinced him to detour back to the village first. He didn’t care a whit that Hami was devastated.”

Belle ached for Hami and the rest of his family’s loss, but she just _knew_ there was far more to the story than any of them knew. All she could focus on in the present was finding Rum, making sure he was okay, and proving his innocence.

A rustle of trees had her spinning around, peering up into the leaves. As she stared, her eyes adjusted and she could make out a black shape.

“You smell that?” Ruby whispered.

The shape moved, and Belle recognized the movement of an ape. As it had been all those years ago, the more Belle looked, the more figures she was able to see. Jefferson brought his rifle to his front from where it had been slung behind his back, but he didn’t aim it.

“Gorillas,” she said before calling gentler than before; “Rum?”

“Belle…”

It was like she’d been carrying a wildebeest on her shoulders and it was suddenly lifted away the moment she heard his rasping voice.

“Rum!” the name came out in a rush of breath. “Where are you?”

“There!” Mary Margaret whispered, pointing up into a tree.

Indeed, not very far up, Belle could just make out the glint of Rum’s eyes. She ran toward the tree but froze when the surrounding gorillas began to grunt and rustle nervously. She continued on more slowly, never taking her eyes off of Rum.

“Rum, can you come down? Please, we only want to help you.”

She could see his eyes flit from her to the people behind her. She _had_ to find a way to assure him they meant no harm, but judging by the way he was glaring most intently at Jefferson, it wasn’t going to be easy, not after what he’d been through.

“Jefferson,” she said without turning around. “David, put your guns down on the ground. Slowly.”

She could hear rustling behind her, and chanced a look to make certain she was obeyed. “It’s _okay_ , Rum. They’re not here to hurt you.”

Belle turned back to her friends, touching them each on the shoulder one by one. “Jefferson…Ruby…David…Mary Margaret…” she patted her own chest. “Belle. Friends.”

“Frrr…ends…”

“Amazing…” David breathed.

Belle approached the tree again, eyeing the branches for the easiest way to climb, and trying to ignore the intimidating presence of an unknown number of gorillas.

Mary Margaret made a sound of protest, but Belle slowly started to scale up the tree, the way she’d done as a girl.

When she made it close to where he was perched, only a branch below, she could see that he was sitting beside a rather small gorilla, no bigger than Rum himself, who was watching her warily. She couldn’t see Rum’s wound in the dark, but she could see the way he was curled in on himself, and that he was breathing heavily.

“Rum,” she sighed. “Oh you poor darling. Let us help you, _please_.”

“Belle,” he groaned, leaning toward her, much to his friend’s alarm.

“It’s okay,” she said to both Rum and his gorilla companion. She had to strain her arm to reach up to him, just lightly brushing the arm he seemed to be favoring, and he jerked back with a hiss. His friend growled at her warningly.

“I don’t know how to convey to him that we can help,” she called down.

“I know!” Ruby exclaimed. “Get him to watch!”

Belle pointed downward, gratified to see Rum (and the gorilla) look around the tree trunk down at her friends.

After a quick whispered conversation, and a sharp warning from Mary Margaret when he reached for his gun, David instead picked up a long stick and aimed it at Ruby as if it were a rifle.

David made a “ _bang_ ” sound and Ruby collapsed, clutching her shoulder and yowling in a rather convincing show of pain.

Belle smiled despite herself, and glanced at Rum to find him watching the pantomime intently, and even in the dark she could see his brow furrowed.

Mary Margaret motioned to Jefferson, who jumped into action. He opened up the sack of medical supplies and proceeded to pretend to doctor Ruby’s shoulder, going so far as to wrapping a strip of bandage around it. When he was done, Ruby stood up, patting her bandaged shoulder and flexing her arm, all the while smiling and nodding in satisfaction.

Belle could practically _hear_ Rum’s quick mind whirring. “Do you see?” she asked him. “My friends and I only want to help.”

“Fr-ends?”

His voice was growing more strained, his breath more labored. “ _Please_ Rum…”

“Belle…” he groaned, leaning forward, holding onto his gorilla companion for support.

To Belle’s amazement, the ape actually assisted Rum, guiding, almost carrying, him down the tree. Once they were halfway down, it looked up at her with intelligent eyes almost saying, “ _are you coming?”_

Once the three of them were on the ground, and closer to the lanterns’ light, Belle could see that Rum was deathly pale; turned an eerie shade of milky green. Blood was oozing lazily from the hole in his shoulder. Blood that was just as red as hers.

“Oh Rum,” she whimpered, kneeling beside him and letting him lean wearily against her.

When Jefferson and the others tried to approach, the gorilla growled, which caused an echo of unease throughout the trees.

Old knowledge gleaned from books as a child came back to Belle then, and she dared to nudge the gorilla with the back of her hand, and it surprised her again by turning toward her, as if to protect both Rum _and_ her from the interlopers.

“Crouch down,” she said to the others. “You’re displaying threatening behavior by standing upright like that.”

David was the first to obey, going down on his knuckles in complete mimicry of an ape. Belle wondered wryly if gorillas were capable of feeling offended, because he looked rather silly.

Ruby and Mary Margaret followed his example more sedately, and finally Jefferson.

The gorilla’s posture relaxed, and it stood by as Jefferson approached with the bag, motioning Ruby closer with the lantern.

“Belle…” Rum moaned, leaning into her.

“I’m right here,” Belle cooed, running her fingers through his matted hair.

Jefferson went to work on his shoulder, appearing remarkably at ease despite the hulking presence of a 30 stones of gorilla breathing down his neck.

Rum hissed and growled when the antiseptic was poured on, but didn’t yell, or try to get away. Belle feared that was due more to growing weaker than anything.

After what felt like forever, the wound was stitched and the bleeding stopped. Belle and Mary Margaret helped Jefferson wrap the cloth around his chest.

“He’ll be alright now?” Belle asked hopefully.

But Jefferson was still frowning. “I’ve cleaned the wound as best as possible, and stopped the bleeding, which was the most important part. But he’s fevered, Belle. I’m afraid an infection has already set in.”

“Then…what can be done?”

Jefferson pulled a handkerchief from his waistcoat and wiped his face. “Out here? Nothing. He needs a hospital, or at the very least a clean environment so that he can be monitored and the wound cleaned frequently.”

“I can stay with him and keep an eye on him,” Belle said. “Show me how to keep it clean, and I will.”

Jefferson smiled tiredly at her. “But look around, Belle. Keeping his wound clean here on the Jungle floor would be one thing. Keeping an injured, sick man safe from predators is another thing entirely.”

“The gorillas will protect him,” Belle protested. “They’re not going to let anything get to him.”

“Jefferson’s right, Belle,” Ruby said. “At the end of the day, the gorillas are still animals, and I think you probably know better than we do that out here, only the strong survive.”

Belle whimpered. They were right, of course. From an animal standpoint, Rum would never survive the night on the floor of the Jungle, with the smell of blood and sickness all about him, and the gorillas could, or would, only do so much. And if he did survive, the infection would probably kill him before long.

“Then we have to take him to the village,” Belle said. “Papa and the village Healer can help him.”

“You mean the very place led by a man who only hours ago vowed to kill him?” Ruby asked.

“Simple,” Jefferson said. “We wait until Asani, Clayton and his crew go off in search of our friend here. I’ll go with them if I must, make sure they look around in circles for as long as possible.”

“And _if_ Asani comes back before Rum is well, I’ll talk to him,” Belle said. “He’s angry now, and scared, but Asani is a rational person.”

Ruby blew out a breath through puffed cheeks. “If you say so.”

“Now to solve the problem of getting him there,” David said. “Will the gorillas let us carry him away?”

“They’ll have to,” Belle said.

Unwilling to leave Rum’s side, she instructed the others on how to build a simple cot out of branches and vines.

Rum’s young companion was visibly upset when David and Jefferson picked Rum up and placed him on the cot before lifting it between them. But Belle tapped the ape again with the back of her hand, making a huffing noise that she hoped sounded comforting.

“Belle…” Rum whispered, and Belle rushed to grab his hand.

“I’m here, Rum.”

“Here…Belle…”

Though she didn’t see it, she felt the presence of that lone gorilla following them through the jungle, back toward the village. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Rum heals at the village and learns a few new things about humans.


	9. Protecting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and her father care for Rum, and he awakes to find himself in a very strange place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra chapter! I've been doing a lot of writing this weekend, and just got finished writing a future chapter that has all the damn feels lol. I can't wait to post it :D

It was slow moving through the thick bramble in the dead of night, and Belle was exceedingly glad that she hadn’t insisted that her friends remain behind, because she highly doubted that she and Jefferson would have been able to carry Rum back alone. Both Jefferson and David were strong and fit, but the rough terrain coupled with their burden had both of them gasping in exertion in no time.

Belle was so focused on Rum, on making sure he didn’t slip off the cot, on making sure his chest still rose and fell steadily, that they doubtless would have become hopelessly lost had it not been for the rather surprising revelation of Mary Margaret’s innate sense of direction.

The sun was just beginning to rise by the time they made it back to the outskirts of the village, and the men gratefully lowered Rum to the ground.

“Do you think they’ve gone, yet?” Ruby asked.

“One way to find out,” Jefferson said. “Come with me, Ruby. If they haven’t left, I’ll probably have no choice but to set off with them, and someone will need to come back.” he grimaced at the thought, and Belle sympathized. She felt like she could sleep for a week as it was, and she hadn’t been carrying a grown man through the jungle.

Ruby handed Belle the lantern and followed Jefferson down the hill. A moan caught Belle’s attention and she turned back to Rum. He was writhing in feverish pain, his face twisted. She knelt over him, petting his damp hair and cooing nonsense words until he quieted somewhat.

“Do you really think he’s fully human?” Mary Margaret asked, looking over Rum’s pebbled skin. They’d covered his lap with Jefferson’s cravat, for the women’s sense of modesty if not for his.

“I’m not sure,” Belle admitted. Despite her earlier insistencies, Rum was clearly not a _normal_ human man. She felt like his differences went a bit beyond deformity, and she had already stopped thinking of him as _deformed_ at all. He was too beautiful for a word like _deform_. “I’m not sure who or what he is, but I _do_ know that he’s a _person_. He thinks, he feels, he _speaks_. He’s not an animal.”

“Of course not,” David said emphatically before his eyes twinkled with mirth. “Although, he _was_ looking at you like a puppy.”

Belle glared at him. “Mary Margaret, would you? He’s your husband.”

Mary Margaret obliged by swatting said husband on the shoulder.

After what felt like forever, Ruby came loping back up the hill. “The hunting party was just heading out when we got down there,” she said. “Jefferson went with them. Let’s get monkey man inside.”

Belle and Ruby each took one end of the cot, and David the other, while Mary Margaret led the way down into the village. It was still early enough that not many people were milling around just yet, and those who were, were seeing the men off on the other side of the village, so they were able to skirt around the outer sides, straight to Maurice’s hut.

He was standing outside when they got there, his eyes going wide when he got his first look at Rum.

“He’s real,” Maurice breathed. “I mean…I wanted to believe you, Belle, but…”

“It’s okay,” Belle grunted, relieved when her father took up helping carry Rum into his home.

“He’s feverish,” she explained as David and Maurice settled Rum on the bed. “And barely conscious. Jefferson did the best he could with the wound, but it was already festering by the time we got there.”

Maurice touched the back of his hand to Rum’s brow, and scowled. “He’s burning up. We’re going to need water, fresh from the river to bathe him in. Belle, darling, I need you to check my supplies and see if I have any more willow bark.”

“We’ll get the water,” Mary Margaret said, taking Ruby’s hand and leading her out.

“I’ll keep watch,” David murmured, stepping just outside.

Belle rushed to the small glass cabinet where her father kept his vials of various medicines from all over the world. “Here it is, Papa.”

Maurice was busy cutting open the bandage, and she winced at the blood that had already soaked through it.

“That Jefferson fellow did a fine job with what he had,” Maurice commented. “Didn’t know he had medical knowledge. Where’s the lad now?”

“With the hunting party,” Belle said, not taking her eyes off Rum’s face. “He was hoping he could keep them on a wild goose chase long enough for us to get Rum well again.”

Her father shook his head. “If Asani finds out…”

“How was he?” Belle looked at Maurice again. “Was he still on a warpath?”

“I’m afraid so. He and Johari had quite the row last night. She believes he isn’t using his head, and I daresay she’s right. That Clayton wasn’t helping matters at all, though. Going on and on about the attack, riling up Kafara’s family and the other men. I would have thought Asani would be above falling into a mob like that.”

“Look at Rum, Papa,” Belle said. “Do you see any blood on him that didn’t come from his own wound? I saw the campsite myself, and there was no sign of a struggle of any kind. Gaston and his cronies are lying.”

“You think _they_ killed Kafara?”

“All I know for absolute sure is that _Rum didn’t_. And I’m glad that Jefferson went on the hunt. He’ll keep an eye on Gaston, and won’t let any harm come to Asani or the others.”

Maurice hummed, then motion back toward his medicine cabinet. “I’m going to need my clamp, dear.”

Belle hurried to fetch what he needed, but by the time she reached the bedside again, Rum’s eyes were open wide, his pupils shrunk to tiny dots, and staring up at Maurice in terror. He began thrashing about, making inhuman noises.

“Rum!” she exclaimed, almost throwing the instrument at her father before kneeling on the bed beside Rum’s head. “It’s okay, Rum! Don’t be afraid!”

Rum’s eyes were glazed and unfocused, and he shoved at her. Even though it was a weak push for him, it was still enough to send her flying backward, only kept from tumbling to the floor by David, who had rushed back inside once he heard the commotion.

Rum rolled into a crouched position on the mattress, a vicious snarl bubbling from his throat, contorting his face into something truly feral. For the first time in his presence, Belle felt a touch of fear.

Ruby and Mary Margaret returned with the water, and the arrival of yet more people sent Rum into a worse panic and he leapt from the bed, nearly collapsing once he hit the ground.

“Rum! Please, stop!” Belle cried, concern for his health overriding her fear, trying to reach for him but being held back by David and her father.

To her horror, Rum lunged for Mary Margaret, which caused David to release Belle and throw himself between the two of them with a shout. But Rum bypassed Mary Margaret entirely and ran out the door.

“No!” Belle’s heart hammered as she ran out after him. If, in his fevered rage, he actually wound up hurting someone, there would be nothing she could do to save him any longer.

He stumbled toward the center of the village, and the first woman’s scream sent him crashing into the stand where a hog had been hung up to be skinned. Children ran out to investigate, only to be snatched back into their homes by terrified mothers. Shouts of “ _monster!” and “Mnyama!”_ rang through the air, and men began running for their spears.

When Rum stopped, disoriented and unsteady, he looked all about in horrified confusion as several men raised their weapons.

“Stop!” Belle screamed, throwing herself down on the ground in front of Rum, and holding out her hands, palms out. “ _Please! He’s only sick and frightened! He won’t hurt you!”_

“What is the meaning of this?!” Johari exclaimed, shouldering her way past the men, wielding a spear of her own. “Uzuri! _Why have you brought the creature here?”_

Instead of answering, Belle turned to kneel over Rum, who was breathing heavily and whimpering slightly. She took his face between her hands, trying to make him see her. “Rum,” she whispered. “Look at me, darling. It’s me, it’s Belle.”

“Get away, Belle!” Maurice exclaimed worriedly, but she ignored him, ignored everyone but the terrified man before her.

“Belle?” Rum wheezed, eyes finally focusing blearily on hers.

Belle smiled, feeling tears start to roll down her cheeks. “Yes, it’s Belle. It’s okay, Rum.”

“Belle…here?”

“I’m here, Rum, it’s alright.”

She felt more than she heard Johari approach from behind. “ _Is that truly…”_

“Mnyama,” Belle confirmed, trying not to let her frustration show in her voice so that it didn’t further upset Rum. “ _But he is no beast, Johari. He’s a man, and he needs our help.”_

Johari stood back and the gathering crowd watched in astonishment as Belle crooned to and caressed Rum, watched him lean trustingly and tiredly into her.

And long last, he slumped, and David and Maurice were able to lift him up and carry him back to the hut.

“Asani would be most displeased,” Johari said, following the small party inside. “You should not have brought him here without permission, Uzuri.”

“Your husband is out on his revenge quest,” Belle said scornfully. “Seeking retribution for something Rum _didn’t do_. I’m only trying to prevent any more innocent lives being taken.”

Johari didn’t respond to that, and stood back quietly while Belle took the bowl of water and cloth from Ruby and began bathing Rum’s face while Maurice measured out the willow bark.

“He spoke your name,” Johari said at last, an unspoken question in her voice.

“He’s my friend,” Belle answered simply.

“I will not attempt to prevent his care here. And I will order that he is to be allowed safe sanctuary. But my word is only good until Asani returns. And you _know_ what will happen when he does.”

“I hope to have him on his feet and away by then,” Belle said. “But if not, I know I can talk sense into him.”

Johari chuckled. “You have more faith in his sense than I do, Uzuri. But even if you do, those other men will be another tale.”

Belle furrowed her brow. “I know. But I can only handle one crisis at a time.”

Eventually Johari left so that Belle and Maurice could care for Rum in peace. David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby, seeing that their help wasn’t currently needed, retreated to their own huts for some much needed rest.

“You should let me do that, girl,” Maurice said when Belle moved back the blanket to wash Rum’s chest and stomach, working gradually lower.

Belle rolled her eyes. “I’ve been spending time with him for days, Papa. His body is hardly a mystery to me, or anyone for that matter.”

Maurice chuckled. “I _meant_ , you must be exhausted. You should go rest.”

Belle smiled ruefully up at him. She was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, but the idea of leaving Rum for even a moment was more than she could bear.

“And if he awoke again and was frightened? What then? No, I’d better stay.”

She did allow her father to talk her into curling up in the wingback chair he’d had imported from Alexandria. Throughout the day, Maurice administered medicines and sponge baths in turn to try and keep Rum’s fever controlled. Johari stopped in occasionally, eyeing Rum in curiosity and concern, before leaving again to snap at those who gathered around the hut to try and peer in at the mysterious Mnyama.

Near evening, Johari brought them dinner, and David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby came in to eat and check on the patient.

“Why Rum? David asked Belle around a mouthful of pork.

It took a moment to catch exactly what David was asking, then she shrugged one shoulder. “He tried to tell me his name, but either couldn’t get it out, or couldn’t quite remember. Only that it started with “R.” I thought that he sort of reminded me of the storybook character, Rumplestiltskin...it’s silly, I know, but he seemed to like it.”

“So what you’re saying is he _had_ a name,” Maurice said thoughtfully. “And he had speech. He would never have been able to learn to speak at all so quickly if he hadn’t already learned at some point in his life.”

“And he does learn so quickly,” Belle said. “He’s really very intelligent.”

“So how did he come to live in the wild? Mary Margaret wondered aloud, but no one had an answer.

 

Once night fell once more, Belle urged her father to sleep, and he retired to the next room and a hammock he’d set up for himself, giving strict orders to wake him if there was any change. It made Belle happy to see him becoming protective of their patient.

Belle sat beside Rum on the bed, relieved to see him sleeping peacefully at last. He looked so young with his face slack like that, and she wondered again about his age. When she’d met him as a child, she’d believed him to be an adult, but it had been dark, and she was very small, that it was entirely possible that he’d been only a teenager at the time.

But then again, legends of the Mnyama predated her life by decades. Surely Rum wasn’t as old, if not older, than her father? But with his unique skin, untamed hair, beardless face, and innocent eyes, it was impossible to tell.

She jumped slightly when he suddenly moaned and turned his head. “Belle?” he whispered.

“I’m here,” she whispered back.

He opened his eyes, and they focused fully on her at last. She touched his forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

“Your fever is broken,” she said quietly. “You’re going to be ok, Rum.”

“Oh…kay?”

She giggled. “Leave it to you to get well and want to launch right into an English lesson.”

“Belle…here?”

Her heart nearly broke at the tentative question in his voice, and unsure of what was coming over herself, she turned until she could lay down beside him, stretched out on her side, above the covers. “Belle’s here,” she said into his ear, carefully placing her hand on his chest to feel the comforting thump of his heart.

“Rum…here,” he sighed, rolling over, and wrapping one arm snug around her waist.

She froze for a moment, unsure whether she was comfortable with this or not, but gentle motion of his chest as he breathed, and the warm, earthy smell of him had her feeling drowsy in seconds. Instead of easing away like she knew she probably should have, she found herself burrowing closer as sleep overcame her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Rum gets to explore the village and learn more about humans. Fluff ensues.


	10. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rum proves to be a fast learner, perhaps a bit too fast!

“Mmhmm, I see how it is.”

Belle opened her eyes, desperately wishing for a few more hours’ sleep. She wasn’t a bit surprised to see Ruby standing over her, smirking saucily, especially once she remembered that at some point in the night, she’d actually gotten _into bed_ with Rum.

She was relieved to find that she was still above the covers, and he under them, but he was wrapped as securely around her as possible with the fabric separating them, and his face was buried in the crook of her neck.

“Your grandmother would be having a field day,” Mary Margaret said, she and David appearing from behind Ruby.

“I hope your intentions are pure,” Now, Belle _was_ surprised to hear her father’s voice joining in on the teasing. “He’s a sick man, Belle. Give him some time to recuperate!”

“Oh hush,” Belle groaned while they all laughed at her expense. She started to sit up, detangling herself from Rum’s embrace and trying hard not to think about how well she’d slept while she’d been in it, when she suddenly felt him tense up.

His eyes flew open, seeing the unfamiliar faces around him, but instead of fleeing this time, his arms only tightened around her, preventing her from moving.

“It’s okay, Rum,” she said soothingly, patting his chest and fighting back a blush. No matter how innocent, it was feeling increasingly awkward to be lying in bed with a naked man while her father and friends looked on. “These are my friends. Remember? And that’s my Papa.”

To her surprise, Rum’s eyes flashed with sudden understanding. “Papa?” he asked in a small voice.

Belle managed to sit up, but held onto Rum’s hand, as she reached over to lay her other hand on her father’s arm. “Yes, this is my Papa.”

Rum frowned in confusion at Maurice for a moment, but then his expression cleared. “Belle...Papa.”

“He gets it!” David exclaimed.

“Of course he does,” Belle sniffed. “I _told_ you. He understands far more than you might think.”

Rum waved his curled hand at the rest of them. “Fr-nds?”

“Friends, right!” Belle said happily.

Rum moved, as if to get up, only to hiss in pain when he leaned on his injured arm.

“Slow down there, my boy,” Maurice said, using the same jovial attitude that had long put nervous young children at ease. “You’re in no condition to go swinging about the trees just yet.”

Rum lay back against the pillows with an unsure expression, but seeming willing to cooperate.

“My, what big eyes you have,” Maurice quipped.

“Papa,” Belle droned, rolling her eyes.

“We _do_ need to get him on his feet as soon as possible,” David said, crossing his arms. “No telling how long Jefferson will be able the lead the hunting party about on their merry chase.”

“Rum,” Belle said, perching back on the edge of her bed. “I need to ask you something,” she waited until she had his full attention before continuing. “The man who shot you,” she gently touched his bandage. “he said that you hurt someone. A boy from this village. What really happened?”

Rum furrowed his brow at her, looking at his shoulder and then back at her.

“I don’t think he understands, Belle,” Ruby said.

“No,” Belle agreed. “But you all believe me, don’t you? That he couldn’t have done what Gaston says?”

“I do,” Ruby said, and the others nodded in agreement. “But I don’t think Asani will see your side of it. Not unless you can convince him that Gaston is responsible.”

“And if you convince him of that, Asani will turn on Clayton,” David said. “Which will in turn bring the entire Clayton empire down on the heads of this village. Is that something you’re prepared for?”

Belle scowled. “But if Gaston murdered Kafara, he deserves punishment!”

“But it’s Clayton against Rum, against Asani. What side will the courts take? I’m not saying it’s fair or right, I’m only being practical, Belle. And say you convince Asani to take no action, Clayton will _still_ want to hunt Rum down. You know that’s all he wants.”

“Then what do I do?!” Belle exclaimed, feeling tears of frustration well in her eyes. Rum whimpered beside her, pulling on her hand as if to urge her back to lying beside him. “How do I prevent _anyone_ from being hurt?!”

“You may not be able to, my girl,” Maurice said. “That’s the unfortunate part of life. Perhaps it would be best to take him somewhere, like America, I doubt Clayton would follow him that far. At least it would get him out of the equation.”

“America?” Belle asked, confused. “What do you mean? Who said I was taking him anywhere?”

“Well? Don’t you plan on helping him try to assimilate?”

“Assimilate to what?”

Now Maurice looked confused. “Did you plan to just release him back into the jungle? He’s a man, as you said. Doesn’t he belong with other people?”

Belle frowned. “I hadn’t really thought much farther than saving his life. This is his home…and where can he go where he’ll be accepted? It would be bad enough that he has no social graces of any sort, but his looks will never allow him to fit in anywhere. I know all about fitting in, and I don’t have half of his advantages. And I don’t think that America is better about accepting people who are different than England.”

“I understand that, dear, but don’t you think he deserves a chance?”

Belle bit her lip, and turned to smooth down Rum’s hair when he tugged on her hand again. Perhaps her father had a point. Rum deserved to be with other people, she only worried that people would never be as forgiving as the jungle. But maybe he _wanted_ to be with his own kind, maybe he actually had family somewhere. His reaction to the word _Papa_ told Belle that perhaps he once had one of his own. And getting him away from Gaston and Asani altogether _would_ lessen the chances of anyone else getting hurt.

Belle supposed her main worry was that the world might take away his sweet innocence. Or, more selfishly, she would have to share him.

“What if we just concentrated on teaching him more language?” Ruby suggested. “Then maybe he can have a hand in his _own_ future.”

Belle grinned up at her friend. “I think that sounds like a grand idea.”

“Belle…here?” Rum asked, growing restless with the conversation happening around him that he couldn’t understand.

“Yes, Rum,” Belle said fondly. “I’ll be right here.”

 

They started by giving Rum a wrapper to tie around his waist. It was just wide enough to create some semblance of modesty, but not so long that it would feel restrictive to him. As it was, he eyed the article of clothing begrudgingly, but seemed to accept it easily enough.

Belle would have liked him to stay in bed longer, but he was anxious to get up and explore almost immediately, plus they discovered that he seemed to heal at a bafflingly fast rate. Maurice commented more than once at how he wished he could bottle some of Rum’s immune system.

People flocked around Maurice’s hut when he first emerged, all having heard about his first appearance, and been told by Johari that no harm was to come to him.

Since his initial fear had abated, Rum proved to be completely fascinated by the village and its people, and after a bit of hesitance from the villagers, the feeling was mutual.

The children were the first to approach him, and he smiled shyly in bemusement, even more confused by the Bantu language than he was of English.

Everywhere he went, Belle stayed at his side. He barely took a step without checking to be sure she was near, and when he did look at her, Belle was arrested by the undisguised affection in his eyes. She wasn’t the only one who noticed, and she tried to ignore the knowing looks from some of the elders.

 

She led him along with David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby away from the bustle of the village to pick oranges, mostly to give Rum a bit of a break once he started looking a little overwhelmed.

They hadn’t picked very many for the village before they were taking a break of their own, lounging in the shade and eating some of the sweet fruit.

The moment Belle had situated herself against a tree, Rum was beside her, leaving over her shoulder, his nose brushing her ear.

“Not one for personal boundaries, hm?” Ruby asked, smirking.

Belle flushed. “No, he isn’t really.”

David chuckled. “He’s just a man living on instinct, he should be admired!” with that he leaned over to Mary Margaret, nuzzling her neck while she swatted at him playfully.

Belle wasn’t at all sure how she felt about David drawing comparisons between her and Rum and his own feelings for his wife.

“Belle,” Rum said, drawing her attention. He held up an orange. “What?”

Belle gasped in delight. He’d never specifically asked for the word for something before. “Orange!” she told him.

“Or…nge,” he formed the word with difficulty.

Belle looked around for something else to name for him. “Why don’t we give you a bit of a quiz, hm?” she pointed at David. “Who is he?”

“Friend,” he replied, followed by a more hesitant, “Dav…id?”

“That’s right!” Belle praised. “And her?”

“Ru-bee.”

Belle gushed again, but when she pointed at Mary Margaret, he looked almost panicked. “Don’t make him say it,” Mary Margaret laughed. “That’s a lot of syllables to expect of him so soon!”

“Snow,” Rum said, staring at Mary Margaret with a thoughtful expression.

“Snow?” Belle questioned, looking at the others. “That’s the first thing he’s ever said, unprompted.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “I wonder what he means by it.”

Rum was looking very pleased with himself because of all the words he was getting correct. He turned to Belle, leaning close to her face. “Eyes,” he said, brushing the very tip of his finger over her eye before tracing her nose. “Nose.”

“He’s very familiar with _your_ parts,” Ruby teased, but Belle chose to ignore her.

“Do you remember this?” Belle asked, holding out her palm.

Rum smiled and pressed his hand to hers. “Hand.”

“What else Rum?” Ruby asked, then slid her bare feet forward. “Do you know the word for these?”

In response, Rum turned to Belle’s feet, pulling one out from where it was tucked under her knee.

“Foot,” Belle giggled, and then laughed harder when he inadvertently tickled her.

“Foot,” Rum echoed confidently, and then his eyes trailed up over the rest of her  body, making her face heat up and prompting her to remove her foot from his grasp and arrange her skirt more modestly around her legs.

“He seems curious,” Ruby sang, clearly enjoying herself. “Bet he’s never seen a woman before you, Belle.”

“Stop teasing, Ruby,” Mary Margaret scolded.

But Rum must have understood some of what Ruby was saying, because his eyes were narrowing on Belle, then glancing down at his own body.

Without warning, Rum’s hand shot out and pressed against one of her breasts, and he jumped, as if not expecting it to be soft.

Belle leapt away from Rum as if burned, and Ruby crowed in laughter. Even David chuckled, while Mary Margaret gasped in shock.

Rum cowered back, startled by everyone’s reaction, and Belle felt guilty, as well as increasingly annoyed with her best friend.

“It’s okay, Rum,” she said soothingly, trying to coax him back to her, but he scuttled farther away. “Look what you’ve done, Ruby! It isn’t funny!”

Ruby’s laughter died down, but she didn’t look terribly sorry. “I didn’t know he was going to understand that so well. He’s smarter than he seems, isn’t he?”

“He’s brilliant,” Belle said hotly. “He just doesn’t know better.”

“Maybe I ought to have a heart to heart with him,” David said. “I’m getting the feeling he’s never learned about the birds and the bees.”

“You can do that later,” Belle groaned, still focused on Rum, who was scooting farther and farther away, looking shame-faced and ready to bolt. “Maybe you three should go for now, let me calm him down.”

At last, Ruby looked contrite. “I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t mean to upset him.”

Belle gave her a smile, if only to show Rum she wasn’t angry. “Oh, it’s alright. I suppose it _was_ funny, wasn’t it? Just…awkward…for me.”

“Come on you two,” Mary Margaret said, pulling her husband and her friend to their feet.

Once they were gone, Rum relaxed somewhat, though he still didn’t make eye contact. If Belle didn’t know better, she’d say the poor man looked downright embarrassed.

“It’s really okay, Rum,” she said. “No harm done. I didn’t mean to scare you. Come back, please?”

Rum stopped trying to scoot away, but still looked uncertain.

“Here, Rum?” Belle asked, using one phrase she knew meant something to him.

It had the desired effect, and he inched back to her, head bowed.

“Come here, Rum,” Belle cooed, maneuvering them until they were as close as he normally preferred, leaning side by side against the tree.

After a moment of stillness, he turned slightly to face her, his face screwed up in confusion, and pressed his hand to his own chest, over his nipple.

“Yes, it’s different, isn’t it?” Belle admitted, chuckling. “And you couldn’t possibly have known why it’s okay for you to touch most any other part of me and not there. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve become a bit of a prude. I was raised to keep all my parts carefully hidden from men.”

In a flash of impulsive rebellion, along with the now lack of audience, Belle took Rum’s hand and returned it to breast, barely managing to whisper the word for it and knowing her face must resemble a tomato.

She didn’t expect him to linger, cupping her flesh carefully with a look on his face she’d never seen before. He didn’t even repeat the word.

It was too much, and she pulled away again, but gently this time. “It’s not, um…you mustn’t touch women, Rum…like that…not without…well, I gave you permission. So you mustn’t…without permission. Oh, what am I saying? You don’t understand at all…”

“Belle…” he interrupted, his voice low. “Rum’s Belle.”

She wouldn’t have thought it possible at that point, but her face heated up even more. “Um…um…are you hungry? It must be nearly supper time.”

Belle stood up quickly, almost stumbling, and held out her hand for Rum. Once he stood, he stood to his full, straight height, and he stared down at her heatedly.

“My Belle.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Where did he learn that? What could she say? If she responded in the negative, she would hurt him. And she was completely, totally unwilling to hurt him.

And really, who were they, if not each other’s?

“Your Belle,” she whispered, not quite able to meet his intense gaze. “My Rum?”

“Belle’s Rum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for nothing lol xD
> 
> Next week: Rum is growing more confident among humans...until Gaston and Asani return.


	11. Chipped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Rum continue to bond, until something happens to change the game.

Once Rum’s wound was on the mend, and Maurice no longer felt that he needed to be monitored so closely, he respectfully requested his bed back.

Johari suggested allowing Rum to move into one of the huts shared by the young, unmarried men, but there was only one problem.

Rum could go nowhere without Belle.

As much as Belle adored Rum, and genuinely enjoyed his company, it was becoming trickier and trickier to escape him even long enough to bathe or take care of more personal business. The first time he’d come upon her relieving herself, she’d shrieked and thrown a small rock at him. That had led to a conversation of pantomimes to get through to him that Belle needed _some_ privacy. It was a completely different conversation to convince Rum that he needed to do the same. And Belle had to resign herself to the fact that Rum was never far away when she was seeing to “business.”

Belle didn’t think placing him with the unmarried men was safe enough anyway, as she felt that most of them were still very distrustful of him. So when that didn’t work, Maurice simply offered the spare hammock in his own house. But once night fell, and Belle left him to return to the small hut she was sharing with Ruby, he’d set off after her immediately.

Belle walked him back to her father’s, even going so far as to wait until he fell asleep, but it was like he _knew_ the moment she was no longer in the room.

“Oh, give over,” Ruby moaned sleepily when Rum followed her into their hut for the third time. “Rover isn’t going anywhere.”

“Don’t _call_ him that!” Belle snapped. “He is _not_ a dog!”

Ruby sat up on her cot and looked at her meaningfully. “Oh, Belle, I know he isn’t. I didn’t mean it. I’m just _tired_. Can’t he stay here?”

“It isn’t right,” Belle argued. “And besides, it’s good for him to learn some independence.”

Ruby quirked a brow. “Belle, he’s lived virtually alone for who knows how long. I say he’s plenty independent. He knows how to be alone. He just doesn’t _want_ to be. Although I get it if you just want space from him.”

“That’s not it at all,” Belle said, looking at Rum with new eyes as he sat stubbornly on the floor. Despite her defenses, she’d begun to try to train Rum like a child or beloved pet. By God, he wasn’t _frightened_ , he was lonely. And Belle was his first and closest friend. Did she not desire the presence of the people she cared most for when she in stressful situations? That was the main reason she’d asked her friends to accompany her to Africa after all. Not for the sake of propriety.

“Well, you’re not sleeping on the floor,” Belle said at last. “Come on.”

To her surprise, Rum huffed at her, and didn’t move. He then made a show of laying on the floor.

“Oh, now you’re being silly, get on the bed.”

“N’ prop-er.”

Belle’s jaw dropped and Ruby howled. “You hear that?! You got him worried about your _delicate sensibilities_!”

“I can’t believe it,” Belle said, pressing her hand to her face. “Back in London I was the most improper girl known to society. Now look at me.”

“That’s because you got an exotic wild man fawning over you. It’s enough to make any womanhood tremble.”

Belle wrinkled her nose. “You’ve been reading too many tawdry romance novels, Ruby.”

“If I did, I got them from _you._ ”

In the end, Rum had a comfortable pallet of furs and blankets on the floor beside Belle’s bed. But at some time in the night, her arm fell off the side, and she awoke to find her hand clasped in his.

 

After a couple of days, Rum _did_ begin exploring on his own a bit. But despite her approval, Belle never did manage to go for more than a quarter of an hour without seeking him out, if he didn’t come back to her before then.

He went fishing with some boys, and was adorned with beads by some of the young women. He collected a kitten from high in a tree and became an instant hero to the village’s population of little girls.

Dressed like everyone else the way he was, his dark skin didn’t even stand out all that much among the Hadithi. He blended in better than Belle with her alabaster color, and it wasn’t long at all before people stopped paying much attention to his otherness. He was even picking up a bit of Swahili.

On the twelfth day of his stay, Belle found him in her father’s hut, staring in wonder at the sheet hung up as a projector screen.

Maurice was giving him a slide show of photographs taken from all over the world. Of men and women dancing, cities in Europe, women dressed in finery. When he reached a grainy image of a family, Rum leaned forward suddenly, motioning for Maurice to stop.

A small sound escaped Belle’s lips before she could help herself, and stared at the screen as intently as Rum.

“It’s me,” she said quietly. “And you…and…Mama.”

A younger Maurice was standing proudly behind his seated wife, who in turn held a five-year-old Belle on her lap. They were all dressed in typical European wear, so it must have been on a rare visit to London. Most family portraits Belle had seen were solemn things, but Collette was beaming directly at the camera, all of her teeth in view.

The only picture of her mother Belle had been able to take to London was held in her locket, and one could barely make it out. She had _forgotten_ how terribly beautiful her mother was.

“Belle?” Rum asked, looking at her with concern.

“She’s my mother,” Belle said, smiling through tears. “Do you understand?”

Rum nodded slowly. “Papa…mother.”

“That’s right.”

“Did you have a mother, Rum?” Maurice asked, sitting on a chair across from him.

Rum made the face that Belle had quickly learned meant that he was thinking hard, or trying to remember. “No,” he said at last.

He got up then, to explore some of the rest of the myriad of things in Maurice’s hut.

The curtain covering the door moved, and Johari entered, carrying a bowl of herbs for Maurice to use in his doctoring. She gave Rum an amused, but still uncertain look.

“The hunting party should be back any time now,” she said to Belle. “They only took enough supplies to last two weeks. I have a watch in place to alert us of when they’re near, but it will be soon.”

“I know,” Belle sighed, tearing her eyes away from the portrait in order to walk over to Rum, who was admiring a teacup. “Rum? I need to ask you something.”

He looked at her, cradling the cup in his hands. “Belle?”

“Do you know what happened in the jungle? When you were shot? Did…” she loathed to even voice the question, but it had to be done. “Did you attack them? Did you kill the boy, Kafara?”

Rum jerked back, scowling, and the motion made him lose his grip on the teacup, and it hit the rug with a dull thump.

When he picked it up again, he made a sound of distress. A small chip had been made in the rim. “S…sorry…”

“It’s okay,” she said, taking it gently away from him. “It’s just a cup. Rum? Do you understand what I’m asking?”

He nodded.

“Did you attack those men?”

“No,” he said firmly. “No.”

“Then _do_ you know what happened to Kafara?” Johari asked urgently.

Belle shot her a look that said to let her do the talking. “Kafara was a dark-skinned man, like Johari. He would have been alone with the other white-skinned men.”

Rum shook his head. “No, Rum no…att-ack. Gun…” he gripped his shoulder, where the bullet wound had closed up to form a dark scab.

“Gaston shot you,” Belle prompted. “But what happened to Kafara?”

But he only shook his head again, and began looking from person to person nervously.

“He doesn’t understand,” Johari said. “Or perhaps he’s lying.”

“I don’t think he knows _how_ to lie,” Belle said defensively. “I think he just doesn’t _know_ what happened to Kafara. All he knows is that he was shot.”

Johari shook her head and swept back out, and Rum relaxed somewhat.

“What are you going to do, Belle?” Maurice asked as she attempted to distract Rum with a mechanical coin bank.

“I have no idea,” she admitted.

“And there’s still the matter of your supposed engagement to Mr. Clayton.”

Belle almost choked on a laugh. “What _of_ it?”

“Darling, _legally speaking_ your grandmother is still your guardian. She can sign a marriage contract for you.”

“Against my and my own father’s wishes?” she exclaimed. “What is she going to do? Come to Africa and drag me back by my hair? She can sign all the contracts she wants, but she can’t force me to say vows. Not if I never go back.”

“Never?” Maurice asked. “You mean you’re truly here to stay?”

Belle smiled at her Papa. “Did you not think I was? My family is _here_ , Papa. You, Asani, the tribe…and Rum,” at the sound of his name, Rum looked up and smiled. “All I have waiting for me in London is a life of childbearing and a loveless marriage.”

“I’d been afraid to hope, my girl. I feared you may have grown too accustomed to the finer things in life.”

She chuckled. “What’s an indoor privy compared to life in the wild outdoors?”

Maurice wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “My thoughts exactly.”

 

On the fifteenth day, Belle and Ruby came upon a group of young people playing instruments, while a few girls were trying to teach Rum to dance. His baffled expression was at odds with the enjoyment she could see plainly in his overlarge eyes.

One of the young woman was positioning his arms, and pressed a hand to his chest to move him in the right direction. Belle was struck with a sudden and unexpected sour feeling, coiling in her gut.

“Uh oh,” Ruby said, seeing it written all over her friend’s face. “Better get over there and stake your claim.”

“What are you talking about?” Belle huffed.

“That girl is putting her hands on your man.”

“He…he isn’t _my_ man. And he’s having fun.”

“He’d have more fun if _you_ were doing the teaching. And the touching.”

Belle stuck her nose up in the air and marched away from her friend, finding herself drawn toward Rum despite her adamant denials.

She took his hand, pulling him gently, but _deliberately_ away from the young woman, and she couldn’t deny the way he visibly brightened when he turned to see her.

The music was still playing, and she took both his hands to lead in him a bouncing dance. He laughed, a flounced around awkwardly, but he was having so much fun.

“Maybe we should teach him a waltz next,” David said, yanking his wife exaggeratingly close and swaying to the music while she laughed in delight.

Belle narrowed her eyes at her friends, but Rum was quick to copy, pulling her flush against his chest and looking exceedingly happy to have her there.

She rested her palms on his chest, realizing their faces were suddenly _very_ close to one another. For the first time, she realized just how full his bottom lip was…

“ _WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”_

Belle completely froze at the sound of Asani’s voice, followed by the outraged shouts of other men. Johari was running behind him, looking frantic. _What happened to the watch?!_

“It’s the beast!” Gaston shouted, raising his rifle. “He’s mine!”

“No!” Belle screamed as the shot rang out, causing everyone to cry out and scatter.

It went wide, hitting the side of a hut, and Asani turned on Gaston furiously, snatching the gun away.

“Are you mad?!” Maurice yelled. “You’re shooting at women!”

“I’m not the one who let a _monster_ into your home!” Gaston roared, snatching his gun back from Asani as Belle and Rum ran.

They darted around huts and shelters, but their path was blocked by Kafara’s father, a spear in one hand, a knife in the other.

Rum grabbed Belle’s hand and hauled her onto his back, and she clung on immediately as he leapt onto the roof of one of the huts, hopping from building to building as the men called out to one another below.

Another shot rang out and Gaston was there, firing recklessly.

“We have to get out of here!” Belle cried.

Rum landed in the pig pen, and they wove around and ducked behind the animals, losing their pursuers. They didn’t stop until they reached the edge of the village, only a hill to crest before they reached the relative safety of the trees.

“ _Belle!”_ Maurice hissed from behind his hut. The hunters were still shouting, but they seemed to have thought that Rum had headed the other direction, so they darted inside.

“Johari sent them toward to foothills,” Maurice said. “But you haven’t much time. Rum needs to go. _Now_.”

Belle wildly looked from Rum to her father, and Rum nodded solemnly. “Rum go,” he said, turning his soulful golden eyes to Belle.

“I’m going with him,” Belle said suddenly.

“ _What_? Belle, you can’t…”

“They’re not going to stop hunting him,” she said, her voice shaking. They should have been better prepared for this moment, should have had a plan already in place, but they didn’t. She hadn’t been thinking…hadn’t been willing to say goodbye. “You said it yourself, he needs to be out of the equation and…” she looked at Rum. “I can’t let him go alone.”

Maurice grimaced, though he didn’t look terribly surprised, and started throwing items into a woven bag. “I’ll talk to Asani, get him to call off this revenge hunt of his, and get rid of Clayton. You’ll need to travel fast to put as much distance between you and here as you can.”

He handed the bag to Belle, who slung it across her body, then turned to Rum. “You look at me, boy. You keep her _safe_ , do you understand me?”

Rum stared directly back into Maurice’s eyes, and spoke clearly. “I will.”

The curtain at the door moved, and Belle jumped, relieved when it was only David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby.

“Oh thank God!” Ruby exclaimed, rushing to hug her.

“Shh!” Belle hushed. “Someone will hear! Rum and I are leaving.”

“Leaving?” Mary Margaret said. “Into the jungle? Belle, are you sure?”

“It’s the only way,” Belle said. “You guys need to go, too. Go back to London.”

“Without you?!” Ruby had to be shushed again by everyone in the room. “We can’t!”

Belle smiled sadly and hugged her friend again. “It was always going to be without me, Ruby. No matter what happens next, I’m not going back to England. Not ever.”

Ruby’s face crumbled. “But what will I do without you? You’re my best friend.”

“This won’t last forever,” Belle promised. “When I can come back to stay someday, I’ll write you immediately. And you can visit whenever you want!”

David wrapped his broad arms around her, and she squeaked when he squeezed too tightly. “Despite what you think, you’ll always have a home with us, too. You know that, right? You’re like a little sister to us.”

Belle’s chuckle was muffled by his shirt. “I’m older than you are, David.”

He patted her hair. “I said _little_ sister, not younger sister.”

Belle pulled away and gave him a flat look. “Mary Margaret? Do you mind? He’s your husband.”

Mary Margaret swatted David’s shoulder before leaning in for a hug of her own. “Be careful, sweetheart.”

Ruby pulled Rum in for a rough hug. “You take care of my girl, got that?”

Rum hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. “Yes.”

Belle hugged her father again, and kissed his whiskered cheek before grabbing Rum’s hand and leading him out the back of the hut.

The moment they stepped outside, they were met by Asani, spear raised.

“Asani…” Belle said, standing in front of Rum and holding up her hands. “Please! Rum didn’t kill Kafara, you have to believe me.”

“ _You betrayed me, Uzuri,”_ Asani snarled. _“You let this creature into my home. After he has cursed us, and killed one of our own!”_

“But he’s done none of that!” she insisted, speaking English so that Rum could understand more. “He’s not what you think! Gaston has poisoned your mind! How could you trust him over your _sister_?”

Asani didn’t lower his spear, but she felt Rum move slowly to stand firmly, and at his full height, in front of her.

Asani glared at Rum, then at Belle who was clutching Rum’s shoulders with shaking hands.

“You _are_ my sister, Uzuri,” Asani sighed at last, lowering his spear and addressing Rum. “Take her, Mnyama, and leave our people in peace!”

Rum took Belle’s hand, leading her slowly around Asani, their eyes never leaving each other’s, and then they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Belle and Rum's Adventures in the Jungle begin!


	12. The Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Rum escape into the Jungle together, and Belle begins to learn a little more about her friend.

Belle and Rum walked long and fast, barely even stopping to catch their breath as they put as much distance between themselves and the village as possible.

The exertion meant they couldn’t very well talk, so Belle was left with nothing to do but think. It had been a rash decision, going with Rum into the jungle. One that she didn’t regret, per-say, but one she wondered if it was wise. The jungle was a dangerous place, even with Rum for protection, and just _how long_ would they have to flee? Weeks? _Months_? She considered herself a reasonably hearty person, able to live more roughly than most. But living in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on her back and whatever her father had managed to shove into a bag wasn’t quite like the camping trips she’d taken as a child.

And she’d barely gotten to say goodbye to her friends, and she’d grown all the more close to them in their time there. Even once she was able to return to the village, it was entirely possible that she may never get to see them again. London was very far from Africa.

For his part, Rum seemed cheerful to be returned to the Jungle, and with Belle at his side. She could tell it chafed at him to walk along the ground with clothing about his hips instead of swinging and hopping through the trees unencumbered, but he took it in stride. Before too long, though, she noticed that he seemed to be limping, and she held up a hand to stop him.

“Is your leg hurt, Rum?” she asked, trying to make him be still so she could see, but he was twisting away like a fussy cat. “Did it happen while we were trying to escape?”

Rum shook his head, grunting in protest and gently trying to swat her away. She wouldn’t be deterred though, and all but shoved him onto an overturned tree. He sat begrudgingly while she examined his leg, not immediately seeing anything wrong.

But there, above his right ankle, was the spidery remains of old scars, difficult to see due to his already textured skin. In fact she probably never would have noticed them at all if the slight swelling wasn’t making them stand out. They looked far too old to have been made anytime recently.

“What happened?” she asked him, touching the enflamed joint carefully.

He grunted in response, flexing his ankle with a grimace. “King,” he said.

“King?” Belle echoed _him_ for once. “King of what? You don’t mean Asani, surely?”

“Gor-i-lla,” Rum formed the word carefully, having never tried to speak it before.

“A gorilla did this? But…I thought they were your friends.”

Rum shook his head. “Friends. King…” his face screwed up, unable to find the words.

“Attacked? Punished?”

But Rum wasn’t able to explain, and Belle let it go. She’d never seen his leg bother him before, and wondered what they could do to relieve his discomfort. A crutch, perhaps? What had Rum normally done?

The answer hit her like a charging wildebeest and she had to roll her eyes at herself. “Of course, you’re _walking_ wrong. You silly man, you’re hurting yourself by trying to walk like me, aren’t you?”

Rum tilted his head, following Belle when she stood up. “You don’t have to do that. Walk as you normally do.”

He didn’t seem to understand, though, and Belle propped her hands on her hips, thinking all while he stared curiously. “I know!”

She knelt down like an ape, her knuckles on the ground. She tried to hop forward, giggling when she stumbled clumsily.

Rum smiled in what could only be described as indulgent fondness, finally kneeling down beside her.

He shook his head, making a noise to get her attention, then showed the way it was done. Belle tried to copy, but failed miserably, then she ended up just bumping into him, and they both fell over in a heap of laughter that did wonders for the stress from the day.

“I wouldn’t make a good ape, would I?” Belle asked, still giggling helplessly.

“Make…good Belle,” he replied.

“Charmer.”

 

They were far past the river’s bend by the time it got dark, and Belle told Rum that they’d better find a place to pass the night. Rum motioned for Belle to follow and scuttled ahead, coming to the base of a huge, ancient tree with countless spiraling branches stretching high above the canopy.

“Up there?” Belle asked.

She was fully prepared to climb by herself, but Rum took her hand and unceremoniously swung her across his back as effortlessly as if she weighed next to nothing.

He scaled up the tree faster than she could take a breath, going much farther up than she would have managed alone, then came to a wide area where the braches wrapped around themselves like basket weave, and there was already a nest of leaves and grass.

“Ah, must be a regular stop for you,” Belle said, smiling.

Rum bustled about, rearranging his nest and testing its security, and she wondered if he was taking extra care due to her presence. Finally he plopped down, and Belle giggled, nothing left to do but curl up beside him.

“S’ proper?” he asked, and she was immensely amused by the note of teasing in his voice.

“Perfectly so,” she said haughtily.

She wondered at how natural it felt, laying in a tree, far above the ground, but wondered even more at how it felt to roll over and rest her head on Rum’s shoulder. They curled into one another as if they’d done it all their lives, as if they fit together perfectly.

She had never felt _safer_ in all her life.

 

Belle awoke feeling slightly disoriented, and rolled over, swallowing a scream as her leg dropped off the side of the nest and she was reminded rather abruptly that she was currently suspended far above the ground.

She scooted frantically back to the center of the nest, looking around wildly for Rum, who was nowhere to be seen. Surely he wouldn’t have left her? How would she get down without him?

It wasn’t but a moment before her fears were proven unfounded as he dropped down before her, cradling some melons in his arms.

She sighed in relief, and accepted the half of melon he broke open for her, drinking the juice greedily before eating the sweet fruit.

“Where are we going to go?” she asked him. “Do you just migrate around all of the time, or do you have a home?” she wondered if he would want to join the gorilla troop, and if there was any way they would accept her. She knew enough about the apes to know there were rules of behavior that must be followed or risk serious injury or worse, and she doubted she would last long without making some kind of mistake. She couldn’t even manage in London society without breaking the rules.

“Home,” Rum said gruffly, almost scornfully, and the uncharacteristically harsh tone took her aback.

“Do you know where you’re from, Rum?”

He was quiet for so long Belle figured he either didn’t know or didn’t understand the question, but then he answered without looking up. “Yes.”

“Wait…you do?” Belle could hardly believe it. She leaned down to catch his eyes. “Where?”

He sighed, and gestured out, toward the mountains.

Belle frowned. “I don’t understand. Can you…show me?”

He looked at her at last, and she hated the strain she’d brought to his eyes. “Yes.”

 

After they’d eaten, Rum’s mood lightened, and he stood up, offering her his back which she clung to without hesitation. But when he leaned out and started testing the strength of a vine, she tensed.

“Whoa, wait, Rum? We’re just going to climb down, right?”

The look he shot over his shoulder was the single most impishly mischievous thing she’d ever seen in her life, and all she could do was hold on for dear life as he leapt, swinging through the trees as effortlessly as a bird in flight.

She knew she screamed at first, and hopefully she didn’t do any damage to Rum’s poor ears. She knew that the pressure of her arms and legs around him couldn’t be all that comfortable, either.

But after a time, when she no longer felt like she was in danger of losing her breakfast, she opened her eyes to see the world whirring by her faster than she could have ever believed possible. It was truly like flying, or as close as a human could come without a machine. It was exhilarating, it was terrifying, it was _fun_.

By the time the dropped down beside a stream to drink and rest, she was breathing heavily, despite not being the one doing all the work.

“Where did you learn to do that?” she asked, grinning widely. “I know gorillas don’t swing like that.”

Rum chuckled, but then it morphed into a strange, high-pitched cross between a laugh and monkey’s call. It was responded to by dozens of little monkeys she hadn’t noticed before, swinging above them.

She laughed. “Oh, so you do other impressions, too? What else?”

Rum smirked, then took a breath before emitting a fully realistic elephant trumpet that has her gasping in shock.

“Showoff.”

 

They traveled far more quickly in the trees than they ever could have done on foot, and by dusk they were at the base of the mountain. Rum had grown more solemn and even quieter than usual the closer they got.

Belle looked around, but could see no sign whatsoever of human habitation. She’d already wondered if this was _really_ where Rum came from, or if this was simply where his gorilla family lived.

But he seemed so withdrawn, looking for all the world that he’d seen a ghost, and she knew there was more to it.

She didn’t speak, just followed him as he made his way gradually around an outcropping of rocks.

At first, all she saw was more rocks, but then her brain caught up to her eyes and she realized that she was looking at a _building_. And not a thatch roof hut or even a log house, but a full metal and concrete building. It was designed to blend in with nature, looking almost like an extension of the mountain.

“What is this?” she breathed, feeling afraid, though she wasn’t sure why.

Rum looked up at her, his eyes wary and guarded, his lips curled in a half-snarl. “Home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Belle learns just who...and what Rum is. 
> 
> :o
> 
> (Sorry if this chapter seems a little abrupt. It was part of a longer chapter that needed to be cut in two.)


	13. Spinning Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle learns about Rum's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gets a little angsty here for a minute, guys! See the end notes for comments about it's content.

At first, all she saw was more rocks, but then her brain caught up to her eyes and she realized that she was looking at a _building_. And not a thatch roof hut or even a log house, but a full metal and concrete building. It was designed to blend in with nature, looking almost like an extension of the mountain.

“What is this?” she breathed, feeling afraid, though she wasn’t sure why.

Rum looked up at her, his eyes wary and guarded, his lips curled in a half-snarl. “Home.”

Belle blinked in confusion, and repeated her question. “What _is_ this place, Rum?”

“Come.”

From a distance, the building looked highly modern, even futuristic, but closer up it was in obvious disrepair. No one had been there in a long time. That was a relief, but it gave the place a haunted feeling that sent chills down Belle’s spine.

They bypassed the large, intimidating doors and went around to the side where there was a low window, the glass long shattered.

“Are you sure about this?” Belle asked nervously despite herself. She did _not_ want to go inside. There was just something _about_ it that terrified her beyond reason, and she felt a little like she did when she was a child, being dared to enter the dark, forbidding school chapel alone after midnight by her classmates…only this was worse. But she’d asked Rumple to bring her here, and she trusted him.

Rum offered a grim half-smile and held out his hand.

Biting her lip, Belle let Rum lift her through the window, and she squinted in the cold, dark dwelling.

Rum climbed in after her, and began leading her down a narrow hallway.

“I can’t see anything,” Belle said, disliking how her voice echoed.

Rum didn’t respond, just kept moving until he reached what looked like some kind of big switch. Even with his strength, it took both of his hands to push the switch up, and a loud mechanical buzzing proceeded a pop, and then the entire place was flooded in a blinding, yellow light.

Belle leapt back with a shriek, not that there was any escape, or anything to escape _from_.

She knew about electricity, of course, and had even seen it in use on occasion, but not to this extent, and where was the power even _coming_ from?

“What on earth?” she breathed, feeling Rum take her limp hand and lead her farther down the hallway, passing numerous nondescript gray doors until they reached an opened set of double doors, leading to a large, white room. Or rather, it would have been white, had it not been for decades’ worth of dust and grime.

Belle could scarcely believe her eyes; she was standing in a _laboratory_ of some sort. There was medical and chemistry equipment scattered everywhere, and in the center was a bed surrounded by a frightening looking machine.

“Rum, what _is_ this?” she asked again.

“This is where I am from,” Rum said, looking around as well, as if he hadn’t been there in a long time. And she figured he hadn’t.

“How?” she asked, somewhat stunned by the fact that Rum had spoken in a complete sentence. “This is…a science lab. Did you parents…work here?”

Rum hunched in on himself, looking pained. She wanted to reach out to comfort him, but suspected that it wasn’t what he wanted, just then.

“Papa…”he began hesitantly. “Bring…bring-ed me. Left me.”

Unable to help herself, she knelt beside him, placing her hand on his back. “Your father left you here? Why?”

His jaw twitched. “Use…less.”

Belle shook her head, beginning to get a very grim picture that she didn’t like at all. “Who? You? You’re anything but useless, Rum. You know that, right? Was it…because of how you look?”

Rum looked at the back of his hand. “No. Papa…he did not…” he growled in frustration and closed his eyes. “The men…they…hurt…”

Belle couldn’t take it anymore, and she gathered him, shuddering, into her arms.

After a long moment he pulled away, shuffling over to push around some of the broken medical supplies.

Leaving him to gather himself, Belle wandered over to a door on the far side of the lab. It stuck at first, but a swift hit with her shoulder jarred it open.

The lights inside were flickering ominously, and it took her a second to make sense of the mess.

The rotted remains of papers were strewn all over the damp floor. A heavy mahogany desk had been overturned, its chair lay in splinters.

Glass crunched under the leather slippers she wore, so she skirted around the shattered remains of beakers and vials.

What caught her attention, and horror, the most was a large cage in the corner of the room. It was the size of a shipping crate, with steel bars all around. Though she initially hoped that it had merely housed some poor animal, the heartbreaking sight of a child-sized sleeping pallet and little wooden toys tore a sob from her throat.

What she couldn’t make sense of was the small spinning wheel inside the cage. She remembered seeing one in the home of one of Doris’s elderly friends in London, but that one had been much bigger. This one was only fit for a child.

It was completely intact, apart from the wood appearing rotted from the general damp that looked to have been caused by a water pipe being broken at some point. But still, that one unbroken item made the bent steel bars of the cage and the deep scratches in the walls that much more alarming. There was also what could possibly have been blood splatters, if she allowed herself to look more closely.

There was an overturned filing cabinet near the desk, but was right-side up, so she pulled on the drawers, finding little inside except a handful of folders, preserved from the water.

She carried them over to one of the only lights that wasn’t blinking, and opened the one on top of the stack. She skimmed over it swiftly, finding details of a research project that made little sense to her. Most of it was written in scientific jargon or shorthand, and she wondered if her father or possibly Jefferson could make heads or tails of it.

The second file was much the same, and she almost moved on until a little square photograph slipped out. It was grainy and dark, but obviously depicted a small boy, dressed only in a diaper, though he looked to be about four or five years old.

Though it was hard to make out, she knew instantly that it was Rum. Just something about the hunch of his shoulders, the shape of his nose…

She flipped through the pages frantically, desperate for information. Phrases like “mentally disturbed” and “retardation” stuck out to her, along with far more unsettling things like “electro-therapy” and “experimental medication.”

A sound made her jump, and she turned around to see Rum staring into the cage, eyes zeroed in on the spinning wheel. Her foot kicked at something, and she looked down to find a leather-bound book, sitting on a stack of rubbish high enough that it escaped most of the water damage. She sat down on the side of the desk and flipped through the pages to find one with words not made blurry by moisture.

It was the doctor’s personal journal, written sloppily, but in plain English as opposed to shorthand.

From what Belle understood, the doctor had been working on a medication that could make a person all but invincible. Stronger, faster, and even smarter. Numerous tests on chimpanzees had had mixed results. In many cases, it seemed to work, but with side effects that ranged from skin lesions to death. He believed though, that he had it perfected, he just needed a human subject, though with the history of the drug, no volunteer could be found, not even for a handsome sum.

Enter Malcolm Rumford, someone described in the journal as “a man of egregious addictions to card tables, opium, and women.”

Malcolm’s wife had died in childbirth, leaving him with a newborn son. For the child’s first years, he’d spent most of his time with Malcolm’s aunts in Glasgow Scotland, but when the elderly ladies both died months from one another, and Malcolm had gambled away their belongings, he was stuck with debtors on his heels and a sickly four-year-old child.

Malcolm was approached by the doctor’s unnamed colleague, who set up a meeting between the two. The doctor described the child as “under-formed, speechless, and unwell.” He offered Malcolm Rumford one hundred pounds to purchase the boy, promising him that he could “cure the child of both illness and mental retardation.” Belle sneered at the very word. She could recognize the signs of malnutrition and possibly abuse just from reading about it, the result no doubt of getting a rough start to life with a lout of a father, being motherless and cared for by elderly women who were most likely poor. Belle knew Rum well enough to know that he wasn’t “mentally retarded” in any way.

Belle began skipping through pages, unable to stomach the beginnings of Rum’s treatment. Every moment was recorded. Vomiting, crying, fevers, all written about in cold, uncaring detail. The doctor could have been writing about a lab rat, not a little boy. In a year, the skin discoloration began, and he began to withstand the medication. He grew stronger, though his skin and eyes continued to change.

Another picture, merely a copy of the picture from the file, was pasted to one of the pages, and it was labeled “Boy Rumford – Age 6.”

So Rum was never given a first name? A date was scrawled at the bottom, and though it was difficult to make out, Belle believed that Rum was about forty years old.

The journal ended abruptly then, though Belle had her guesses as to what happened. A six-year-old child, given medication that made him stronger than what was natural, having never been treated as anything by an animal, finally acted like one and turned on his captors. It didn’t bother Belle as much as it might should have to think that perhaps he’d killed them all. Regardless, he must have escaped, and found solace in the jungle.

Belle looked up from the book, not even remembering when she’d started crying, to find Rum standing upright in front of her.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “This never should have happened to you. Your father should have loved you. You should have been _protected_.”

“I was,” Rum said softly. “My family…protected me.”

Belle smiled. “The gorillas?”

He nodded. “Yes. They found me. Teach-ed me. Loved me.”

“I’m so glad they did.”

“You found me,” he said, almost as a question.

Belle nodded. “You found me first.”

“You teach-ed me.”

“You’ve taught me, too.”

“You…loved me?”

It was asked so quietly, so innocently, that what was left of her broken heart was shattered, and she would have pulled it out of her chest and given it to him if she could. “I love you more than anything, Rum,” she sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

“Love…you…” Rum whispered. “My Belle.”

Belle pulled back, not getting very far with the tight grip her had on her, and without thinking of any consequences, she pressed her lips to his.

Rum grew completely rigid and unmoving, and when Belle pulled away again, he was staring at her with very wide eyes.

“Sorry,” she said self-consciously.

“What…” he asked.

“It was a kiss,” she explained blushingly. “Just something people like to do.”

She pulled back from him completely then, feeling awkward and unsure, and decided to change the subject. “Why the spinning wheel?” she asked him, cursing her shaking voice.

“Papa,” he said lowly. “Left it when he…left.”

Belle wanted to hope that meant that Rum’s father held some sort of affection in his heart for his son. How any father could abandon their child so callously she could never comprehend. Her own separation from her father had been horrible. She couldn’t imagine how it would have felt if had dropped her off somewhere with strangers, to be hurt and abused.

“Will you come?” Rum asked suddenly. “Meet gorillas?”

“You want me to meet your family?” Belle asked, smiling. “I’d love to, Rum. Can…can we leave here now?”

Rum nodded, and Belle ended up putting only the file that seemed to describe the medication and the journal into her bag. She took the copy of Rum’s picture from the other file, and grabbed a rusted pair of scissors to cut out his precious little face before securing it in her locket beside that of her mother.

 

Leaving the laboratory felt like being able to take a full breath at last. Belle felt mentally and emotionally drained, and could only imagine how Rum felt.

“We sleep here,” Rum said, leading the way to a shallow cave – more of an alcove – in the side of the mountain. “Tomorrow we see gorillas.”

She wouldn’t have minded getting more distance from the laboratory, but she was exhausted, and at least it was out of sight, so she let Rum lead her to the nest of moss and leaves he’d hastily put together.

They cuddled up together instantly, and Belle ran her hands over his hair, trying to infuse as much love and comfort into her every gesture as she could, as if to make up for the years he’d been without.

When she’d said she loved him, she wondered absently at exactly what she meant. Of course she loved him, she adored him, but it what way? Could she love him the way a woman loved a man? Kissing him, as brief as it had been, had felt like nothing she had ever experienced. Not that she had much to compare it to; just a practice kiss with Asani as children, a few stolen kisses from Doris’s stablehand and the butcher’s son, and then of course that one kiss performed on a dare between her and Ruby when they were sixteen in their last year at school.

But none of those moments even compared to the split second her lips had touched Rum’s. But was he even capable of that sort of love? She already knew he was capable of desire, but that was mere biology. Though she didn’t believe that there was anything wrong with Rum mentally, it was still a fact that he’d grown up in circumstances that had resulted in him having the innocence of a child. The sharp intelligence in his eyes, and the fury and cunning she’d seen in them, proved however that he was no child.

Rum snuffled in his sleep, and burrowed his face closer to her neck, tightening his grip on her waist.

It didn’t matter. She would just be to Rum whatever he needed or wanted. He deserved absolutely nothing less as far as she was concerned. Her heart had already long-since made up its mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hate the word retardation as much as most people, but it's the one most likely to have been used. But hopefully I made it clear that there's nothing wrong with Rum mentally. He was simply undersized from malnutrition, and selectively mute - perhaps mildly autistic.
> 
> Next week: Belle and Rum cuteness to make up for the angst, and Rum brings Belle home to meet the family.


	14. Gorillas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rum introduces Belle to his family - specifically one very special gorilla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!! Bonus chapter! In honor of tonight's episode, Beauty, I decided to go ahead and update again! I hope the episode is everything Rumbelle deserves and more...but here's a little something to tide us over a bit.
> 
> Also...here's where I start working toward that M rating...

When Belle awoke the next morning, she was startled to find Rum’s face just inches from hers and his eyes open and staring at her.

“Morning,” she murmured sleepily.

Rum didn’t respond, only tilted his head, his eyes roving over her face. A lone finger rose up to trace around her mouth.

He moved closer to hover slightly above her, so slowly that she didn’t notice until their noses were almost touching. She held still, waiting for him to figure out what he wanted to do, though she couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, especially when she felt the evidence of his interest pressing into her hip.

That seemed to capture his attention, and her breath caught. Every time he looked at her, it was like he was looking at a priceless piece of art, or a stunning sunset. There she was laying, unbathed, hair doubtlessly a hopeless, filthy mess, and she hadn’t brushed her teeth in two days, but he was still staring at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world…and she _felt_ beautiful.

“Why…kiss?” he asked, tilting his head in the other direction.

Belle shrugged, wondering how on earth to answer _that_. “It’s just…something people do…who care for one another. You may kiss your friends, or family…but a… _real_ kiss…one on the mouth…it’s um, more… _more_. It can feel very nice if you’re…if you’re…”

“Mates?”

Belle gulped, her answer coming out rather choked, “…Yes. Mates. What do you, um, know of mating, Rum?” he was stilled pressed intimately against her, but just as before, he didn’t seem particularly concerned with it.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Mates protect their mates. Make…um…” he leaned back on one elbow to make a cradling motion with his free hand.

“Babies,” Belle gave him the word, and then had a rather unsettling thought…but she mentally prepared herself to try and just accept it and move on. “Rum? Have you ever…with the gorillas…”

“Rum have gorilla mate?” he asked incredulously before chuckling. “What gorilla would have me?!”

Belle burst out laughing, noting the teasing glint in his eyes. “Come now! I’m sure you would have been quite the catch for any lady gorilla!”

Rum’s laughs rocked his entire frame, and she flushed hotly when she could feel him pressing even harder against her, even as her heart took flight at the first sound of true laughter from him. “No,” he said when he sobered. “I am not gorilla. Not gorilla mate.”

Belle couldn’t help it; she was relieved.

“You…have mate?”

“Me? Oh…um…no, I’ve never…no.”

Rum nodded once in easy acceptance, before asking, “Ready?” and for a moment she panicked before he continued. “Meet gorillas?”

She sighed, unsure if she was relieved…or disappointed. “I’m ready. I just hope they like me.”

He bobbled his head from side to side, but gave no other answer, which didn’t exactly set her at ease.

 

By midday, they reached a quiet, sparkling lake, surrounded by trees. All around were nests similar to the ones she and Rum had been sleeping in, and the unmistakable smell of gorilla was heavy in the air.

“Where are they?” she asked as she slid off of Rum’s back when they came to stand in the small clearing.

“Here,” he said simply.

And sure enough, they melted out of the trees like specters. It was the first time she’d seen them all in the daylight, and there were even more of them than she’d imagined.

They were all around, high in the trees, and on the ground. Silent, but with a presence as loud as thunder. It was incredible.

Rum knelt down, making a low sound in the back of his throat. A furry brown blur shot out of the brush and straight for Rum.

Belle jumped back as the ape tackled Rum, and they rolled and scuffled in the leaves.

She recognized the ape as the smallish one who had been with Rum that night he was injured.

“Who’s this?” Belle asked, causing the gorilla to jump back at the sound of her voice. He stared up at her suspiciously, and remembering herself, she knelt down. His fur was rather unique she thought; soft looking and gently curling. He had to be well on its way to full grown, but still had a sweet, young look about him. In short, he was adorable.

“Brother,” Rum introduced, shoving playfully at him.

Belle smiled in wonder. “Your brother…”

Rum shrugged bashfully. “Brother…son. Our…mother…was killed.”

“Oh Rum, I’m so sorry.”

“He was small…I kept him safe.”

Belle fought to keep from grinning at the gorilla, knowing it didn’t mean to him what it meant to her. “You raised him. Does he have a name?”

Rum’s brow furrowed, and he thought a moment before making a short, gorilla-like sound.

“Bae,” Belle said, making as close an imitation as she could.

“Bae,” Rum agreed, nodding approvingly, and ruffling the fur on top of Bae’s head.

“Hello, Bae,” Belle said, scooting closer.

Bae snuffled over Belle in exploration, much the way Rum had at first, and Belle sat back with a soft smile and let him.

That was all it took for the other gorillas to approach. It intimidated her; being so completely surrounded by a dozen animals that could snap her in two without effort. But she trusted Rum, and he appeared completely at ease.

Or at least he did, until an absolutely _enormous_ silverback appeared, causing the other apes to part ways in reverence.

Belle knew without having to ask that this was the alpha male, and mimicked the way Rum lowered his eyes as he approached.

He sniffed at Belle the way Bae had, but keeping a more wary distance. _Something_ in the way she smelt gave him pause, and he leaned back with a huff, making her tense up in fear.

Rum grunted, still keeping his eyes respectfully lowered, but held his hand out, palm up. The silverback answered with more grunts, and Belle watched in astonishment as the two actually seemed to have a _conversation_. One that was growing in intensity…

Eventually, Rum moved until he was in front of her, and rose up. Not up straight like a man, but with his back bowed, like a gorilla would when challenging another. Belle bit her lip in worry and hoped desperately that if the silverback attacked, Rum would just grab her and flee instead of trying to fight.

The silverback growled, and shoved at Rum with the back of his hand, but without meaning to hurt. He then grabbed at the wrapper around Rum’s waist and yanked at it, causing it to fall off. He picked up the length of fabric and tossed it away, seemingly in disgust.

The great ape looked at Belle over Rum’s shoulder, and started to step around him, heading straight for her. Rum moved twice to stand between them, growling louder each time. Finally, without warning, Rum spun around and tackled her to the ground.

Belle yelped in surprise, but was infinitely _more_ surprised when Rum straddled her thighs from behind, effectively _mounting_ her.

“What are you doing?!” she shrieked in outrage, trying and failing to throw him off. He wasn’t hurting her, but there was really no fighting him.

“Still,” he hissed at her. “’M not hurt you.”

But it _did_ hurt a little when Rum actually _bit_ the back of her neck, and she froze.

At that point, it wasn’t just the whole situation making her highly uncomfortable. It was her body’s very unexpected reaction to that bite.

It didn’t matter that the only witnesses were animals. Belle’s face burned in embarrassment as Rum’s hips snapped against her bum repeatedly. She could feel him, hard through the fabric of her skirt, but he made absolutely no move to remove that barrier.

After only seconds, he stopped and got off of her. She realized by then what he had done; he had marked his territory so-to-speak, to communicate to the silverback and the rest of the troop in the only they could fully understand that she was with him. That didn’t mean she had to like it however, and once he was off, she rolled over a kicked him square in the back.

He grunted and glanced back at her with a quick glare before turning again to the silverback. The ape looked disgruntled, but Belle supposed that he accepted Rum’s claim, because he gave a huff and turned to walk away.

Once he’d gone toward the lake with a few females in tow, some of the younger gorillas stayed behind to more enthusiastically investigate the newcomer.

“Just _what_ the hell was that?” Belle hissed at Rum.

The look he gave her was sheepish and defensive. “King wanted to mate with Belle. Only wanted to protect you…I did not…would not…”

Belle gave a sigh, feeling weak in the wake of sudden fear and relief at the revelation of just what exactly Rum was saving her from. “Oh, I know you wouldn’t. But still, the next time you need to pretend to…to _mate_ with me, warn me?”

Rum smiled at her, then went to scuffle again with Bae. She couldn’t quite remain cross with him, especially not when he looked so _cute_ playing about that way. A trio of tiny baby gorillas were staring at her in fascination, and when she held out her arms, the smallest fell right into them, while the other two made a beeline for her hair to groom.

She chuckled, and met Rum’s eyes above the sea of fur. In the deep shadow of the trees, his almost looked a soft brown instead of gold.

 

By nightfall, all of the gorillas were turning to their nests, and Rum, having retrieved his wrapper and donned it once more, (for Belle’s comfort no doubt, if not his own,) led Belle up a fat tree to rest among its branches. Bae hovered nearby, seeming a bit puzzled, and Belle wondered if he normally slept near Rum.

She felt a little guilty, and wondered if she should ask Rum to invite him over, but he made himself a nest a few branches down.

“Will we stay here?” she asked Rum.

“Gorillas will move on,” Rum told her.

“Will we follow them?”

He hummed. “Perhaps not. King may try again for Belle. Rum cannot fight King.”

“I wouldn’t want you to even _try_ ,” Belle said, thinking of his leg. “But I hate to keep you from your family.”

He shrugged. “M…males…do not stay. Not with mates.”

“Oh, I understand,” Belle said. “Once a male is old enough for a mate, he moves on.”

“Yes,” he gave her a look. “Rum is very old enough.”

Belle giggled. “What about Bae?”

“He will mate soon. Old enough soon. Does not see me as…”

“Rival?”

“Yes. I will not take his mates, so he will not turn on me.”

“Good.”

A chilly wind blew through, making Belle shiver. Rum pulled her closer, covering her body with his, and she snuggled into his warmth.

She traced the scales on her shoulder, liking the way the moonlight shimmered on them, like rocks in a stream. She wondered for the first time what he would look like now had it not been for the experiment. His heritage in Scotland suggested that he would be fair skinned like her. Not that it mattered to her one way or the other. But she wondered what color his eyes would be. She imagined they’d be a dark chocolate brown.

But she couldn’t quite conjure up an image of him that she preferred to _this_ one. Scales and all. He was Rum, and to her he was beautiful.

She had the sudden and irresistible urge to find out what those scales would feel like against her mouth, and, well, she _did_ owe him payback for the bite mark she could feel on the back of her neck.

Leaning up, she lightly kissed his shoulder, before opening her mouth and taking a bit of flesh between her teeth, biting down just hard enough to get his attention.

She felt in muscles in his arm twitch as he jumped, rising up to look at her in surprise. “That was for earlier,” she said impishly.

Rum smirked, and lowered his head again, moving up until her face was in the crook of his neck.

Belle understood, and with a thundering heart, she kissed his shoulder again, daring a quick lick before drawing his skin into her mouth again.

She felt his mouth on the side of her neck, nuzzling and licking in turn. Not quite kissing, but not quite biting either. She realized that she _wanted_ his kiss more than anything in the world, but after her first awkward attempt, and the following explanation, she couldn’t quite work up the nerve to make the next move.

He moved back, looking at her again with _that look_ that made her insides shake. Then slowly, so slowly, he lowered his face to hers, tentatively brushing her lips with his, keeping his eyes open all the while.

Belle couldn’t take it anymore, and grabbed a fistful of his hair at the back of his head, and pulled him to her.

She moved her lips artlessly, not being terribly more versed than he, but trying to at least give him an idea of what to do. When he didn’t pull away, she wrapped her other arm around his shoulder.

He kissed her then, pressing down hard and tilting his head to one side. When she let her tongue slip out to lap at his lower lip, he pulled back with a gasp, but it was only a second before he returned to her, opening his mouth and moaning when her tongue darted inside.

She’d only ever heard about French Kisses from Ruby, who had experienced it once and told her about it in detail. She had no idea if she was doing it right, but it _felt_ good, and Rum seemed to agree.

All of a sudden, Rum was doing the kissing, and she felt his tongue mimic hers, roving over her lips before sliding inside.

She’d never had any clue it could feel like _that_ , and she gripped at his shoulders and hair desperately, her hips seeming to grow a mind of their own in the way they lifted and pressed against him.

Rum was practically whimpering now, clutching handfuls of her wrapper and bruising her lips with his teeth.

The way he felt against her hip was different than it had been before. It was… _more_ , and she realized suddenly that they were swiftly approaching the point of no return.

Her breathing went from impassioned to panicked in the space of a second, and Rum, incredibly, picked up the change immediately.

He pulled away, looking at her in concern.

“I’m okay,” she whispered, letting go of his hair, feeling sheepish about how hard she’d been pulling it.

A grunt made them both look down, and Bae was staring up at them with narrowed eyes.

Belle covered her face with her hands in embarrassment, and Rum rolled off of her. When she peeked at him from between her fingers, he looked uncomfortable, and she worried that she’d offended him.

After a few tense, silent moments, he got up, and she had to fight not to cry. “Rum, don’t go…”

“Be back,” he grunted, and the way he moved…the way his wrapper didn’t hang correctly gave her fresh wave of humiliation. She watched him struggle down the tree before disappearing into the trees toward the stream.

Belle glanced back down at Bae, who was still staring, only his eyes visible above the leaves. “Oh, go to sleep,” she told him testily. “This is embarrassing enough as it is. I don’t need your judging!”

Bae huffed and rolled over, giving her his back.

She huddled in cold and misery until Rum returned, skin damp and smelling of fresh water.    

“I’m sorry,” she told him.

He blinked at her. “Why?”

“For…for not…”

Rum gathered her up in his arms, warming her up in seconds. “No sorry,” he said sleepily. “Rum not sorry.”

Belle smiled and tilted her head, kissing his chin. Then her smile broadened when he pressed a sweet kiss to her head.

He was learning fast.

So was she.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the awkwardness, lol. Poor virgin babies. 
> 
> So what do you guys think of Gorilla!Bae? I couldn't resist, lol. 
> 
> Next week: Belle and Rum's adventures with the gorilla troop, plus a few more friends.


	15. The Scarred One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More adventures with Belle and Rum among the gorilla troop, and Rum introduces Belle to some new friends.

The next morning, Belle wandered around among the gorilla troop, watching in delight as they went about their business, looking for all the world like people just moving about their day. She was careful to avoid King, who still watched her warily, and made sure to keep close to Rum, but the rest of the troop appeared to at least tolerate her presence.

The three baby gorillas were romping and playing when the smallest one inadvertently collided with her legs, nearly making her trip. The little one looked up at her in surprise and a little fear, until he reared up and beat his tiny chest before stumbling over.

Belle hid her smile behind her hand and knelt down to help the little one up. This seemed to somehow be signal to them that she wanted to play, and they all tackled her to the ground.

She rolled, laughing, and began to gently copy the way Rum scuffled with Bae. After a few moments the little ones tired, and one started to eagerly sort through her hair, hoping for mites and making an enormous mess of it.

One of the babies situated herself in the gap Belle made when she crossed her legs, and Belle happily cuddled the furry body close to her.

She glanced up, startled to find Rum watching her intently, a soft, unreadable look on his face. But she was more startled to find a couple of female gorillas watching as well; the mothers no doubt. But they looked on placidly, almost tiredly, as if they were perfectly satisfied with someone _else_ entertaining their children for a time.

 

Belle stood on tip-toe, straining to reach a fruit from an overhanging branch. It was something she had no name for, but it was quite delicious. However, currently it was Austin, as she’d affectionately named the smallest baby, who was whining for the treat, after the others had gotten their own. His sister, Juliette, sat on the ground gobbling her treat, while Belle had their cousin hoisted into the air.

“Come on then, Kipling, reach!” she tried to lift him higher, but even his long arms weren’t quite long enough.

Then, the branch was suddenly drooping, bending until the fruit was directly in front of her face. She plucked it easily, handing it down to Austin before leaning around the branch, expecting to see Rum atop it.

Instead it was Bae, who let the branch go again, the swift motion knocking a few more fruit to the ground.

“Why, thank you!” she called to the young ape.

Bae grunted in response before grabbing some fruit of his own.

As Belle wandered off in search of Rum, her now ever-present shadows jumped up to cling to her shoulders, arms, legs, whatever they could get hold of. They weren’t terribly heavy yet, but it still made walking a bit of a challenge.

She found Rum getting a drink, and he smiled fondly at the sight of her and her furry burden.

“Have sur...surprise today,” he said, wiping the droplets of water off his chin.

“Surprise?” Belle asked in a voice that the babies correctly interpreted as pleased, and they chattered excitedly. “What is it?”

“Show you,” he said. “Must go to open place, not very far. Must leave little ones here.”

Belle chuckled, glancing at Juliette over her shoulder. “Tell _them_ that.”

Rum made an almost barking sound at them, and they all slowly released Belle, sulking all the way.

“Oh,” Belle watched them go with distress. “You weren’t unkind were you?”

Rum chuckled. “No. Now come!”

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Belle followed him eagerly away from the troop and into the jungle, with Bae close on their heels. The brush became sparser and sparser until they finally reached the savannah, and Belle had to squint in the bright evening sun after so long spent in the cool shade of the canopy.

“Where are we going?” she asked, as they continued to walk.

Rum only smirked at her, and kept on, and she rolled her eyes in fond frustration.

Bae made a sudden low sound, and Rum’s head snapped around before he sighed. “Look,” he said.

Belle looked behind them to see a tiny black shape hurrying their way from the treeline.

“Austin!” she admonished, recognizing his diminutive size immediately, whereas Juliette and Kipling needing closer examination to tell them apart. “His mother is going to be worried. Should we take him back?”

“No,” Rum said. “No time. But must keep ‘m close. Not safe.”

Worry clutched her chest as she hurried to meet Austin, scooping him up immediately. “If it isn’t safe for him, is it safe for any of us?”

Rum nodded. “Yes. But him…small. Easy prey.”

Belle shifted Austin to her shoulder as they carried on, now a little uncertain about this “surprise.”

They didn’t encounter many other animals, only a distant herd of wildebeest making their way somewhere else. But after over and hour of walking, they arrived at a cluster of rocks surrounding a very small pond, an oasis of sorts.

Rum held out a hand to stop her and Bae, and motioned for them to stay put while he crept forward on all fours. The sound he let out wasn’t gorilla, but it was a chuffing noise that sounded vaguely familiar.

It was then that a lioness appeared from what must have been a little cave in the rocks. She looked old, and had a large bald spot on her flank where her skin was scarred from what appeared to be a very old, badly healed wound. Belle tensed in fear, pressing close to Bae, but the lioness only approached Rum cautiously, before a single sniff had her rubbing against him like a housecat.

Three more lionesses appeared then, hurrying for Rum and butting his head affectionately, one by one.

“They know him,” Belle breathed, to no one in particular.

She held nervously still as Bae approached the small pride, and they greeted him as well, if with less affection than with Rum. Austin shifted, as if to join them, but Belle snatched at him and held him tight, wondering if they would recognize him as belonging with Rum, or only see him as “easy prey.” For that matter, Belle wondered if she herself was naught but easy prey to them.

“Come,” Rum said, holding a hand out to her.

The lionesses all turned and stared levelly at her, and she hesitated. She trusted Rum, she did, but these were _lions_.

She walked slowly, trying to appear neither afraid nor threatening, still holding Austin so tight to her breast that he squawked in protest. She knelt beside Rum, and after a moment of indecision, held out a slightly shaking hand to the scarred one, trying to pretend in her mind that it was only a cat.

The lioness stared at her a moment, then sniffed at her proffered hand. Belle jumped when the lioness suddenly head-butted her hand, surprised she was by the strength of it.

In a state of amazement, Belle scratched the lioness behind the ear, and she made a contended grumbling noise that could almost have been a purr, if it had in truth been a cat Belle was petting.

“I can’t believe I’m petting a lion,” Belle whispered. She remembered the lion cub that a village boy had adopted when she was young, but she’d never been so close to a full grown one. They were bigger than she’d imagined.

Another of the lionesses sniffed curiously at Austin, who seemed to have finally understood that he was among predators, and had quieted down in Belle’s embrace.

Just when Belle thought she understood Rum’s surprise, four itty bitty balls of golden fluff tumbled their way out of the cave.

She gasped audibly in surprise and instant adoration. The cubs were younger than any she’d ever seen, only barely learning to walk.

Though she longed to scoop them up into her arms with Austin, she sat, wiggling happily, as they waddled their way over to them.

“They’re so _small_!” she cooed.

“Knew they should ha’ come,” Rum said, patting the lioness who appeared to be the mother. “Wanted Belle to see.”

“Thank you!” she said earnestly, as one cub pawed clumsily at her knee where she sat cross-legged. Since all of the lionesses seemed relaxed, she delicately lifted the cub into her lap beside Austin, who inspected the newcomer in fascination.

The other three cubs soon followed suit, and Belle found herself in absolute bliss, being climbed all over by adorable lion cubs.

“All love you,” Rum said, and Belle had to look up at the question and awe in his voice. “Young gorillas, young cubs. All drawn to Belle.”

Belle shrugged a little self-consciously, turning back to be sure Austin wasn’t treating the cubs too roughly.

After some time, but too soon for Belle’s liking, the cubs’ mother began to usher them into their den to sleep, and Rum bid the scarred lion farewell before they started to make their way back to the jungle.

“How did you come to be friends with them?” she asked.

“Knew older lion when she was cub,” he said with a wistful smile. “Her mother killed…” he bowed his head. “Hunters. Other cubs taken.”

Belle had a sudden image of the lion cub brought to the village. At the time she’d been as enraptured by it as any other child, but in retrospect, she could see how terrified the poor thing had been.

It had been that boy’s pet until it grew too large and dangerous to keep. All Belle had known at the time was one day it was there, and one day it wasn’t.

“Did you take care of her?” she asked him.

He nodded. “Protected until big enough to mate. But she would come back. Bring cubs. Many cubs. And then cubs have cubs…like now.”

Belle smiled. As if she needed any _more_ reason to love this impossibly sweet man. As they reached the jungle again, Austin squirmed to get down, and she let him go to trot after Bae into the brush.

With her arms free, there was nothing stopping her from whirling around to Rum, who stood to full height as she stopped, and stood on her tip toes to kiss him.

After only a heartbeat of hesitation, he kissed her back with enthusiasm. She let her hands rove freely over his bare torso, finding she was quickly becoming addicted to the sensation of his textured flesh beneath her fingers.

Following her lead, Rum allowed his hands to wander as well, brushing lightly and carefully down her arms and then back up her sides. He was so gentle, so ever cautious of his strength, it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

She could feel a tree trunk just behind her, so she leaned back, pulling Rum flush against her, never breaking contact with his lips.

His questing hand ghosted over one of her breasts and he pulled back right away, looking at her with wide, somewhat questioning eyes.

She chuckled breathily. “You remembered about permission. You have it. You can touch me, Rum.”

_“I want you to touch me”_ was what she meant, but couldn’t quite say. But his hand returned hesitantly to her breast, and his eyes softened into golden puddles and he breathed out as he kneaded her flesh through her clothing.

She pulled his mouth back to hers, never having known that being touched in such a way would _feel_ like that. She’d always known men had desire for breasts, but no one had ever alluded to her that the pleasure could be mutual. She resumed running her hands up and down his chest and stomach, delighting in the way his muscles bunched, and began to gradually drift lower, wondering if she could finally work up the nerve to find out what it felt like to touch…

The shuffling of leaves and the sudden warm presence beside them made them pull apart immediately.

Bae stood there, eyes narrowed again, and Austin was on his shoulders, head tilted to one side in abject curiosity.

Flushing hotly, Belle dropped her hands at the same time Rum did, and this time even _he_ looked embarrassed to have been caught.

“We have _got_ to find a place a tad more private,” she muttered under her breath.

But the moment for then was broken, and they carried on back to the troop, both feeling an uncomfortable tension within themselves that they didn’t quite know what to do about.

 

As was expected, Austin’s mother was none-too-happy that her littlest had gone rogue, but at least she didn’t seem to blame Belle for it. After washing in the lake, trying to let the cool water cool _her_ down, she followed Rum up to their nest for the night.

But sleep didn’t come easily, as her body was still thrumming with desire. Before, their kissing and touching had ignited _something_ , but that _something_ had been easily extinguished by embarrassment and uncertainty. This time, however, it was still there, just under the surface, and she thought she might go mad with it.

What was all the more frustrating was that Rum didn’t appear as affected. He only burrowed down as usual to sleep, his breath softly stirring her hair.

With all that had happened in the past few months, Belle hadn’t had the opportunity nor the desire to touch herself as she had done back in her bedroom in England. Now, she most certainly had the desire, to the point it was almost pain, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it, not with the object of said desire currently wrapped around her and only making matters worse.

She let out a frustrated sigh and wriggled to get more comfortable, resigned to spend the night and who knew how much longer wanting something she just wasn’t sure she was ready for.

 

Belle was becoming accustomed to the near constant weight of three infant gorillas hanging on her everywhere she went. Only when they went to their mothers for feeding and grooming (it seemed they were all trying to teach Belle _how_ to groom, but the foolish human just wasn’t getting it,) did they leave her side, and often times at least one of them remained with her.

She found, much to her surprise, that living rough in the Jungle wasn’t quite the trial she’d imagined it to be. Oh, she missed her family and friends of course, and there was definitely something to be said of a soft, cozy bed, but it was a comfortable existence living with the gorillas. It was peaceful.

More than that, Belle thoroughly enjoyed seeing Rum so relaxed and at home. She would watch the different ways he interacted with different gorillas, in the same way she acted with the Hadithi. There were older ones who demanded reverence, younger ones who could be joked about with, and Belle was steadily learning who was who.

As of yet none of the gorillas, except of course for Bae, the little ones, and their mothers, paid Belle any mind whatsoever, and she didn’t think that she could ever be a part of them the way Rum was. He was one of them, she wasn’t. But she didn’t mind, because she felt incredibly privileged just to see it.

But despite Rum’s obvious happiness, he continued to make allusions to a seeming inevitable parting of ways. She didn’t understand it, and liked it even less than that. But she knew it must have something to do with King, who hadn’t come within a dozen feet of Belle since the first day. But she could see him, stalking around, watching.

“Alright now,” Belle said to her companions, pulling Austin out of her hair to set him down beside the water. “Let’s get a drink, shall we?”

She filled her water flask, before huffing in annoyance when Kipling snatched it from her hand and took off with it.

“Kipling! You bring that back!” she called. “Little troublemaker!”

He didn’t get very far before Bae was there, taking the canteen from his hands with next to no effort, and examining it curiously.

“Thank you, Bae,” Belle said when Bae willingly handed it over. “These little ones really keep me on my toes.”

But Bae was no longer looking at her. His body was frozen, and he stared with wide eyes at something just over her shoulder.  

Breath catching in her throat, she turned slowly, automatically kneeling to the ground.

King stood just behind her, staring down at her. Belle gulped, risking a look around for Rum, knowing that screaming for him would probably be suicide.

Juliette, who’d been beside her, took off, but Austin whimpered and huddled against her shoulders, and she could hear the agitated huff of his mother. She hoped perhaps that King wouldn’t bother her if she had one of his young.

King reached a massive hand out to her, and she dodged, hopping backward. He growled in disapproval and reached again, roaring when she continued to evade him.

Before she could dodge again, he struck out with the back of his hand. It must have been the most half-hearted of strikes, barely a tap as far as he was concerned, but it sent her reeling to the ground.

Austin rolled off her back and she swiped her hand at him, encouraging him to run to his mother. She was seeing stars, but knew she needed to get up and get away as fast as she could.

King loomed over her, fingers the size of her entire hand pulling at her clothing, lips curling back in distaste.

She closed her eyes, hoping maybe if she just huddled into a ball, King would get bored and walk away. He took hold of her ankle and jerked, causing her to cry out in pain. She knew if he did it again, any harder than before, he would easily break bones, but then she heard a sound that only one being could make, that cross between a yell and a roar, and King was suddenly wrenched backward.

Rum was on King’s back, tendons in his arms straining as they wrapped around the ape’s neck.

King roared and reached for Rum, then hit the ground with closed fists in a way that Belle could actually feel from where she was still curled up.

When King finally got hold of Rum, he yanked him off his back and slung him away like a ragdoll. Belle cried out, but Rum was on his feet again in seconds, lunging for the ape again.

A hand tugged on Belle’s arm, and she whipped around wildly to see Bae urging her away from the fight. She followed him to the other apes, who watched on in agitation.

When Austin crawled into her arms, she clutched him to her and sobbed, not knowing what else to do.

When King got Rum pinned to the ground, he raised both fists in the air. Belle felt herself scream, but the enormous fists hit the ground on either side of Rum’s head. He then roared directly in Rum’s face, and just like that, it was over.

For a long moment no one moved except for King, who stalked off into the brush, shooting a glare at Belle on his way.

Rum lay in the grass, breathing heavily. The second King was out of sight, Belle rushed over to him, followed closely by Bae.

“Rum!” she sobbed, frantically checking him all over for injury. He was badly bruised, and bleeding in various places, but none that seemed life-threatening to the naked eye. His insides, however, were another matter. “Rum, say something!”

“Ouch,” he groaned, struggling to sit up.

“Is anything broken?” she asked, running her hands over his body.

He shook his head, taking her hands in his and squeezing them. “No. M’ not broken. King only warning.”

“If _that_ was a warning, I don’t want to see an actual fight!”

“King challenged for Belle again. Bae ran to get Rum.”

Belle looked over at the small gorilla, who was looking over Rum as worriedly as she. “He did?”

King let out a deep howl, and the other gorillas moved at once to follow in the direction he’d gone.

“What’s happening?”

“Moving now,” Rum said. “We should not follow.”

Despite her fear of King, grief pinched at Belle’s heart, watching the other apes meander away.

Little Austin stopped beside his mother, looking back and forth between them, then yipped at her, as if beckoning her.

When Belle made no move to follow, he darted back, climbing into her arms. Juliette and Kipling turned as well, confused and distressed.

“Go on,” she whispered, fresh tears in her eyes. “Your family is waiting, little one.”

Austin whimpered in her arms until his mother returned, gently pulling him from Belle’s arms and slinging him onto her back. She touched Belle’s chest with the back of her hand, then turned to go.

Bae hesitated as well, but Rum gave him an affectionate head-butt, which Bae returned before following the others.

“We’ll see them again, right?” Belle asked.

Rum smiled a little sadly. “Bae will find Rum. We are family, still.”

“I feel like I’ve taken them away from you,” she said miserably. “You can’t stay with them because of me.”

He brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “Belle can’t stay with family because of Rum.”

“I _could_ ,” she said. “I just chose not to.”

Rum leaned close, nuzzling the side of her face. “Rum chose too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Almost missed my Thursday update! Thank you, everyone for the continued awesome reaction to this crazy fic! Love all you guys!
> 
> Next week: *cough*NSFW*cough*


	16. Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Rum's relationship moves forward. It doesn't go QUITE the way either of them expected...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok y'all, some of you have asked for it...so here it is! I've kept it all nice and safe in one chapter without any outside angst, just for you. If smut's not your thing, you can skip this chapter without missing any plot points. (But there's more later, fair warning.)

They were alone again, and Belle was surprised by how much she missed the gorillas after just barely a week with them.

With no specific destination in mind, they traveled slowly, sleeping in trees and simply enjoying one another’s company.

There had been no repeats of the passionate embraces they’d had, regardless of the fact that they were now alone. It almost made things more awkward for Belle, if she were honest, knowing that there was really nothing _stopping_ them, save for their nerves and the teachings that had been instilled in her for so long to remain chaste until marriage.

She figured, though, that her reputation, such as it was, was thoroughly shot now that she’d been essentially living alone with a man for close to a month.

It was no matter, really though, as Rum was joyously free and open with his affections. It thrilled her when he found any and every reason just to touch her, whether it was a shy kiss, or just the barest brush of fingers on her shoulders.

He still wore his wrapper, but it was rapidly growing ragged, doing very little to actually cover him. By now it resembled more a loincloth than anything else.

Her own dress was in sad state as well, and she mourned the beautiful fabric.

She’d been keeping as clean as she reasonably could with the bar of soap her father had had the foresight to put in her bag, but the hasty washings up in streams were no longer feeling satisfactory, and she sorely longed to give her hair a good scrubbing.

When they stumbled upon a beautiful little oasis by a stream, with a small trickling waterfall cascading off the rocks, she decided it was the perfect place for a bath.

“I’m going to wash,” she told Rum, taking the bar of soap and motioning toward the trees which hid the waterfall from view.

Rum nodded distractedly, working on descaling a fish for their supper.

She stuck her hand out to catch the falling water, finding it cold, but not unpleasantly so in the heat of the afternoon.

She gratefully shed her wrapper, wrinkling her nose at the smell. It would need to be washed as well. She’d done away with her drawers early on, since after a couple of days they provided nothing but discomfort and difficulty when relieving herself.

Belle waded into the thigh-deep water, carrying her wrapper and stepping under the gentle waterfall.

Sighing in pleasure, she tilted her head back, taking a moment to simply enjoy the feeling before working on washing her dress.

Once it was laid out on a rock to dry, she began washing herself, scrubbing at the dirt that seemed to have imbedded itself into her skin. Finally she turned to her hair, grumbling when she felt how hopelessly tangled it was, and wishing not for the first time that her father had also tossed in a comb.

The bar soap wasn’t precisely suited for hair, but it felt good nonetheless. She had her eyes closed, scrubbing her scalp, when the prickling sensation of being watched made her look up.

Rum was standing beside the stream, watching her with wide eyes. The fish hanged limply from his hand, seemingly forgotten about. He must have come over to wash it after descaling it, and came upon her instead.

With a squeak, she dropped down into the water until it covered her shoulders. But she knew he’d already gotten a good eyeful, for who knew how long before she noticed him.

He was still staring, a look of complete bewilderment written clearly on his face. She couldn’t exactly blame him; he’d never seen a completely naked woman before. Her face burned.

Belle thought he would leave. He had learned enough by now to understand her need for modesty, and probably would have never come over if she’d been specific about _how_ she would be washing. But he didn’t, and Belle didn’t know how to react.

When he dropped the fish onto a rock, and began slowly wading into the water, she held her breath, feeling like her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

Once he reached her side, he took her hand, pulling her to stand up so gently that it was more of suggestion than anything.

But she stood, keeping her eyes glued to his face, wondering if he could _hear_ her heart racing. For a long beat, his eyes didn’t stray from hers, but then they moved downward, and she was absolutely stunned by the look of utter awe in his face.

Belle instinctually covered her breasts with her arms, and he smiled lovingly before touching her shoulder, guiding her to turn around.

She began to panic, remembering their “pretending” from before, but he only took her hair in his hands, and began to methodically untangle it with his deft fingers.

He hummed in pleasure, and Belle wondered at how it could be as enjoyable for him as it was for her. Within moments she was fully relaxed, his fingers working magic on her scalp, and her hands dropped to her sides.

After a while it felt as though all of the tangles were gone, but he continued to draw the strands through his fingers, and she gradually leaned back, coming to rest against his chest. She felt him lean forward, his head over her shoulder, and she knew he was looking at her body again, but this time, she truly didn’t mind.

One of his hands left her hair and ran slowly down her side, going around her to splay across her belly. He seemed hesitant, gauging her reactions, and she covered his hand with her own, taking a deep breath before guiding it upward to cover her breast.

With that implicit permission, Rum began to explore more eagerly, testing the weight of her breast before squeezing carefully, then curiously tracing the tip of his finger around her nipple. She gasped when he did that, and hurried to press his hand more firmly against her before he mistook it for displeasure and stopped.

She must have been going mad, because the hand not holding his seemed to grow a mind of its own, and before she fully realized what she was doing, she was reaching back to untie the wrapper from his waist and letting it drop into the water.

He grunted at that, and brought his body completely flush with hers, and she gasped again at the feeling of his hardness against the soft flesh of her rear.

The hand that had been fondling her breast moved downward, and she looked at him from the corner of her eye to see his brow furrowing in concentration. She almost could have laughed, because he seemed so puzzled by their very obvious differences in anatomy.

When his hand brushed over the curls at the apex of her legs, she froze. Her hand lingered on the back of his, but she made no move to either move him away or urge him on.

He cupped her slowly, almost questioningly, and she widened her stance a little, astounded by her own forwardness.

When his long middle finger curled inward, they both tensed in surprise.

Just the barest, fleeting touch of his finger inside her felt so much more powerful than all of the times she’d touched herself in the dark of night put together.

All at once she was infused with a raw need like she’d never felt before in her life. It was reckless, probably foolish, but repercussions be absolutely damned.

Belle spun around, catching only a glimpse of his wide-eyed shock before devouring his mouth with her own.

Her shaking hand slid down until it reached his straining cock, and she wrapped her fingers around it, surprised by the contradiction of how soft and hard it was at once, and causing him to let out a positively wrecked sound that went straight to her middle.

He pushed her until her back was pressed against the smooth rocks, water cascading down his back. His hips thrust aimlessly against hers, and he grunted in frustration. He didn’t quite know what to do.

Well, she knew the basic mechanics of it, but she was quite honestly a little lost too. Did one of them need to hold it to get it to go in?

Running purely on instinct, she raised her legs, wrapping them around his waist, trusting him to hold her up. He groaned again, but the angle was just right, allowing him to press into her in the most intimate way.

She had just enough time for a sudden twinge of fear before he was inside her, and she cried out immediate pain.

She clung to him at the same time she tried to pull away, but he thrusted only twice before growing rigid all over and moaning into her shoulder. She felt a burst of warmth inside her, which felt altogether odd.

Belle was hurting, but still thrumming in unsatisfied arousal when he pulled out of her, making her whimper.

That sound of distress reached him at last, and he pulled back with a lurch, eyes roving her face in panic. “Belle?”

Belle opened her mouth to respond, but Rum was looking down, crying out in horror at the streaks of blood covering his cock, and smeared across her inner thighs.

He stumbled away from her then, climbing out of the water, shaking his head and raking his hands roughly through his hair.

“Rum, no…” she stammered. “It’s okay…I…”

He let out an anguished sob and turned as if to run away. She almost screamed, to beg him not to leave her, but he seemed to remember himself, that he _couldn’t_ just leave her, and set about pacing the edge of the stream.

Ignoring the blood and her own discomfort, Belle rushed to him, trying to still his panicked pacing. “Rum, please! Listen to me! You didn’t…” well, he _did_ hurt her, but he certainly didn’t _mean_ to. She realized then that they should have talked before ever attempting this. Maybe gotten him a book, or let him have that conversation with David after all. He couldn’t have possibly known that the first time for a woman could be painful. Hell, _she’d_ only barely known. Plus, she hadn’t been absolutely positive she’d _wanted_ to do that until about three minutes ago.

She did not regret it though. She regretted his distress, and the awkwardness of the entire affair, but she didn’t regret making love to him in the least.

“Rum it isn’t your fault! Women they…they bleed the first time they uh…mate. And it hurts…sometimes, I think. For all women! Not just me! You couldn’t have known, sweetheart. I know you would never hurt me on purpose.”

He stopped pacing, but the devastated look and the tears on his face tore at her heart. “So…sorry…” he said gutturally before dropping to his knees before her, and wrapping his arms around her hips.

“I’m sorry too,” she said. “It probably wasn’t the best idea to rush it, just now.” But it sure _felt_ good at the time.

He moved his head and eyed the trace of blood that hadn’t managed to be washed off her legs miserably.“I’m okay, Rum, really,” she insisted. “It only hurt at first.”

Rum nudged her backward until she could sit on a flat rock. When he gently guided her legs open, she figured he would perhaps wash off the blood, or check her for injury. It was embarrassing, sitting so displayed before him like that, no matter what they’d just done, but if it made him feel better...

He looked at her, and his eyes widened comically. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she had to fight a laugh.

“No harm done,” she insisted, though he didn’t look terribly convinced. “I promise.”

She looked around for her wrapper, thinking she could let him use a corner to wash the blood, but before she could suggest it his face was between her legs, and his tongue was lapping at her thigh.

“Rum!” she squeaked, shocked and mildly disgusted. “What are you doing?! Don’t…”

But _damn it_ if his tongue on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh didn’t feel _good_. Though it had waned somewhat, she was still aroused, and the way he dedicatedly cleaned her without a trace of distaste was as intriguing as it was unsettling.

Then his tongue touched her inner folds, and she let out a startled yelp, almost jumping off the rock. He looked up in alarm and fear, but she threaded her fingers into his hair to keep him from leaving.

“Please,” she begged. “Don’t stop…”

She could actually see the moment his eyes dilated before he bent his head to her again. He lapped at her tentatively at first, then eagerly, as if he was actually enjoying the taste. Her hips rocked slowly, and she was unable to stop them. Everything in that moment disappeared except for the sensations he was eliciting in her.

When, by accident, his lips closed around that small bundle of nerves, she crashed over the edge with a scream, pulse after pulse of pleasure radiating through her body.

It took a long moment for her to come back to herself, and when she did, Rum was staring at her in amazement.

“God,” she whispered, chest heaving. “When you want to make up for something, you really make up for it, don’t you?”

“Belle…okay?” he asked worriedly.

She smiled, sliding off the rock to fall trustingly into his arms. “Better than.”

He was hard again, but seemed intent on keeping it from touching her, so she decided maybe that they’d both had enough…for the moment.

Once she was able to stand again, she led him back into the water, and made him hold still so she could take pleasure from washing his body with the bar of soap, avoiding any areas that could get them carried away again.

He nearly purred when she washed his hair for him, though it was far too matted to even contemplate trying to remove the tangles.

When they left the water to have supper and prepare to sleep, he no longer appeared nervous to touch her, but she wondered if he would be willing to try it again anytime soon.

Because she found, much to her own surprise, that she really _really_ did.

But that night they simply lay side by side as they always did, only this time with a new sort of intimacy that Belle couldn’t have imagined before. It wasn’t a drastic change, just a new understanding of one another, and the hopeful anticipation of learning more.

They stroked one another’s skin lightly, for no reason other than simple enjoyment.

She felt safe and comfortable in a way she knew, from the bottom of her heart, she never would have been able to feel with another man.

Belle knew that life was going to catch up to them, sooner rather than later, but in that moment the world may as well have not existed beyond that little copse of trees by the waterfall. Because she was sleepy, safe, comfortable, and utterly in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, my awkward virgin babies! Don't worry, they'll get a chance to give it another go later on, with better results, lol. I couldn't just let both of their first times go without SOME trial and error!
> 
> Next week: The outside world catches up to them.


	17. Cages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprises, some inconvenient, others ominous, interrupt Rum and Belle's happy little existence.

It was just _typical_ that the next morning, Belle awoke to find that she’d begun her cycle.

She couldn’t have thought of worse timing, either, because Rum noticed the blood before she did, and flew into a panic.

It took quite some time to talk him down, and make him understand that it had _nothing_ to do with what they’d done the day before. Finally, he understood, having seen as much from female gorillas. But he was still nervous, and treated her like spun glass.

As it was, she felt miserable, especially considering she had none of the supplies she was used to.

At least she hadn’t thrown away her drawers, so she was able to don them again with some of the cloth her father had put in her bag to use as emergency bandages.

It would in no way be enough to last the whole week, however, so she shyly enquired whether they could stay there by the stream, so that she could wash the rags as often as necessary. Rum, of course, complied.

She was humiliated. There was absolutely no way of hiding any of it from Rum, not with him sleeping beside her at night, and worriedly watching her every move during the day. Even when she’d lived in the dorms at school, with cycles that typically timed together with her roommates, they tended to keep the intimate details about the whole process quiet.

When he tried to take her soiled cloths to clean for her, she was appalled, but he only gave her a patient look and bid her to sit while he went to the stream.

Even men in the village wanted nothing to do with a woman and her cycle, so it was all very unfamiliar. But she supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. Rum was simply different.

When he came back from the stream, he found her looking at her locket. He glanced over her shoulder, and sat beside her.

“Tell me…about…Mother,” he requested haltingly.

Belle smiled. “Mama was the most beautiful, smartest, bravest woman I’ve ever known. She gave up everything at home to travel to Africa and help people. She just had the kindest heart you could imagine,” she thought a moment. “Do you remember that night years ago? When the men attacked the village? Do you remember saving the little girl?”

She’d never asked him about that night, didn’t even know if he had made the connection between that child and herself.

“I remember,” he said. “The man was hurting you.”

She smiled. “So you _do_ know that it was me.”

“Yes. Did not know it was _you_ then.”

She wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but continued on. “That was the night my Mama died. Those bad men killed her.”

“Sorry,” he said sadly.

“My Papa was frightened for me, so that’s why he sent me away to England.”

“Mama was…Papa’s…mate?”

Belle blinked up at him. “Well, yes, of course. Do you not know what a husband and wife are, Rum?”

He shook his head.

“Oh, well…well David and Mary Margaret, they’re husband and wife. They’re married. Marriage is what happens when two people decide to, well, decide to be mates forever.”

He tilted his head. “How?”

“Well, they have a ceremony. They stand before their family and friends and pledge vows to one another. To love each other, protect each other, serve each other, always.”

“But why?”

Belle sighed. “It’s just a nice thing to do, I suppose. In most places in the world, marriage is necessary if two people want to be mates. They aren’t allowed to live together and well… _mate_ without being married.”

He hummed. “Rum and Belle not husband and wife.”

She smiled sheepishly. “No, and people in England would be _most_ scandalized, let me tell you.”

“Scan-dell-aye-zzzd. That bad?”

Belle gave a small smile and shrugged. “If it mattered to me, do you think I’d be with you now?”

Rum thought on that a moment. “Is Belle…happy?”

She grinned. “Other than you being in danger? Yes Rum, I’m _very_ happy here with you.”

He grinned back, and leaned in for a kiss.

 

After her bleeding was finally over, they moved on, though she found she would miss their little spot by the stream. Now that she was able, she was anxious for Rum to touch her again, but she didn’t quite know how to go about asking for it, and he was still a little hesitant with her. She wondered, more than once, how men and women ever figured all of this out, since sex was something most people didn’t speak about.

“It’s been about three weeks,” Belle told him, as they walked side by side, their hands linked. “We should probably think about getting word to Papa, to let him know we’re ok.”

He grunted in agreement. “Rains coming soon,” he said.

“Oh God, you’re right,” she said, looking up through the trees at the clear evening sky. “What will we do then?”

“Gorillas go to mountains,” he said, nodding in that direction.

“Maybe Gaston has left the village by now. And Papa said he would talk to Asani. Maybe things are okay, and we can just go back. At least for the rainy season.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

They were interrupted by the crashing of branches, and frantic grunting. They both jumped and looked behind them to see Bae stumble out of the brush, looking like he was being chased.

“Bae!” Belle exclaimed while Rum rushed to communicate with him.

Rum gasped and lurched back, turning to her with wide eyes. “Gorillas,” he croaked. “Hunters…”

“Oh no…” Belle whimpered, but before she could say anything else, Rum was gone, bounding into the trees and swinging out of sight. There one second, gone the next.

Belle felt a sudden cold rush of panic at being left alone in the premature twilight of the jungle, no clue about what she should do. “RUM!” she called, knowing she had no hope of following him.

A furry hand bumped hers, and she realized that Bae was still there, looking her directly in the eye.

Rum had _left_ Bae with her, deliberately. She was still frightened, though, and confused. But Bae snorted and turned, offering her his back, which was only barely turning silver.

Gulping, Belle wrapped her arms around the young gorilla’s neck and straddled his back as best she could. He of course didn’t swing in the trees like Rum did, but ran through the jungle with impressive speed.

It was easier than she might have thought to ride a gorilla, but then she supposed they were made to carry their young that way. It was hardly horseback riding, however, and she had to keep her face pressed into his furry neck to keep it from being scratched by branches flying past. As it was her arms and legs were being shredded.

They had to travel a considerable distance, and it was full dark by the time she heard screams, roars, and gunshots.

She pulled back on Bae’s neck, and he slowed, creeping through the leaves until they could see firelight.

It was a band of poachers, with torches, nets, and cages, trying to haul live gorillas into wagons.

Rum was already there, hence the screaming and gunfire. He was desperately trying to free King from a thick metal cage.

Bae whimpered, and Belle echoed the sentiment. Then her eyes alit on a smaller cage holding Austin and Juliette’s mother, who was holding her babies in her arms. No sign of Kipling and his mother.

Without thought, Belle ran into the clearing, hearing Bae cry out in distress.

She landed hard on her knees before the cage, and the female ape howled desperately. But the door to the cage was locked, to prevent intelligent fingers from opening it from the inside.

Belle looked around frantically for something, anything to open the cage with. The gorilla grunted, and Belle looked up to find her holding Austin up to the bars. Belle reached out, sticking her hands through the opening and taking hold of the baby, working his little body through the bars. She _would_ free the mother as well, but first she would see the little ones safe.

She had Austin out and in her arms when she reached for Juliette, wondering if the slightly bigger sibling would be able to fit.

“Shouldn’t have done that,” someone said behind her, cocking a shotgun.

Belle squeezed Austin to her chest while his mother roared furiously. She turned around on her heels, looking past the gun barrel pointed at her face.

She recognized him instantly.

“ _Kafara_?!”

“I do not know what you’re doing here, Uzuri, but you made a mistake in coming,” Kafara said, not lowering his gun.

“I…I don’t understand…” she stammered. “Gaston said you were _dead_! Your family has been mourning you!”

He huffed. “And they’ll be overjoyed to find me alive and well, and a rich man.”

“By poaching gorillas with a bunch of _criminals_? You honestly think your father would stand for that? You think _Asani_ would stand for that?”

“Asani is an even bigger fool than Jabali,” Kafara said. “He does not understand that the old ways of our people are dead. We need to move forward, and the only way to do that is with _money_.”

“Wanting more and moving forward isn’t a bad thing,” Belle said, shaking her head. “But you’ve gone about it all wrong.”

“Shut up!” he snapped. “I should just kill you now, but I don’t think the boss would be too happy.”

“Well, well, well,” Gaston said, twirling a pistol in his hand. “Look what the gorilla dragged in.”

“Gaston,” Belle spat. “You son of…”

“Ah, ah,” he tisked. “I don’t like foul language in a woman. And if you’re to be my wife, you’ll need a bit more decorum.”

In response to that, Belle spat, “Fuck off!”

“Grab her,” Gaston ordered, and before she could make a run for it, Kafara had her seized by the arms, Austin clinging helplessly to her chest. “Oh, Mnyama!” he sang out. “I have your bitch!”

Rum had temporarily retreated to the trees, but he dropped down to the ground again, eyes widening when he caught sight of Belle.

“You’re so concerned about your animal friends,” Gaston said, waving his gun in her general direction and talking in such false friendliness in made her stomach turn. “Will you fight for your whore? I must admit, as beautiful as I find her, the idea of her cavorting in the jungle with you for weeks, doing God knows what with you, it’s turned me off of her a bit. Perhaps I won’t marry her after all, but I could probably bear to show her how an actual man fucks before I kill her.”

Rum roared and lunged for Gaston, but he only backed away, aiming the gun more surely at her head. “Stop! Or I swear I will kill her. Do you want to see what happens to her pretty little face when I put a bullet in it?”

Rum stopped, snarling and breathing heavily.

“So you _do_ understand,” Gaston smirked. “Good. Now here’s what you’re going to do, you’re going to march yourself over to a cage there,” he gestured toward an empty cage, where Dr. Whale stood, hands folded. “And you’re going to let the good doctor lock you in. And then we’re going to take you Belgium, where you will be poked and prodded for the rest of your miserable little life and I will be famous. Understand?”

Rum stood up straight, clenching his fists, murder in his eyes, and nodded.

“Rum, no!” Belle cried, only to be backhanded by Kafara.

“I go to cage,” Rum growled. “You let Belle go.”

“Well look at you, talking like a big man,” Gaston mocked. “But alright. You get in that cage, and I’ll let Belle go.”

Belle fought for all she was worth against Kafara’s grip as Rum walked toward the cage. “Please, Gaston!” she pleaded, making a last ditch effort toward Gaston’s questionable humanity. “He doesn’t deserve this!”

Gaston glanced down at her, eyes cold. “Who cares? They’re just animals.”

All of the gorillas roared and howled, beating at their cages almost in syncopation as Rum approached the cage. Whale opened the door for him, then ushered him inside. The clang of the door locking was almost impossibly loud, and the rhythmic beating from the gorillas grew in volume.

“ _Kutomba nini?”_ Kafara murmured, glancing back nervously at the female gorilla behind them.

“Let Belle go!” Rum roared, fists clenching around the bars.

“Oh I’ll let her go,” Gaston sneered, raising the gun once more.

Kafara released her, but Belle only had time to curl into a ball, in a final effort to protect the innocent baby gorilla still clinging to her body, then all was dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kutomba nini? = "what the fuck?"
> 
> So yeah, the drama has landed! That means we're heading into the final 1/4 of the story! The next chapter is a little different, and it's pretty much ready to go so I MAY be persuaded to post it this weekend ;) 
> 
> Next week: We go into the POVs of three different characters, one of who may surprise you.


	18. Different Views

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Belle being shot, told from the point of view of three different characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this one ready, and you guys asked so nicely, so here you go! And thank you for all the awesome comments. They keep this baby rolling! Plus, it's looking like you might be getting a sequel :O

Rum screamed as Belle slumped to the ground, her body still wrapped protectively around the young she called Austin.

He beat wildly against the bars, heedless of the pain.

He’d been so frightened, from the moment Bae communicated to him what had happened, and he’d been trying so desperately to save the only family he’d ever known.

He knew if he could just free King, the two of them could set aside their differences and save everyone.

But they cage they held him in was stronger than anything Rum had ever seen, and even between the two of them, they could not make the door move.

He’d asked Bae to stay with Belle. To protect her. If he trusted anyone with such an important duty, it was his Bae.

But he hadn’t counted on them following. He had no idea that Belle would enter the fray to save her precious little ones, his kind, brave Belle…until it was too late.

Rum knew Gaston. Both from what Belle had said, and from what he’d seen in the jungle that day he’d been shot. And he knew the man who held Belle as well. It was the one they’d asked after, when Rum had been so confused, wondering why they kept asking if he’d _killed_ the boy, when the boy wasn’t dead at all. He’d simply gone off alone, and Rum had been shot when he’d done nothing but explore a little too closely.

Gaston ordered Rum to go in the cage. And although the mere thought was enough to make his heart thud painfully in his chest, and his skin grow cold and clammy, he did as he was told. If it would save Belle, he would do it. No hesitation.

Surely Gaston wouldn’t actually hurt Belle. He’d wanted to marry Belle, and Belle said marriage was what happened between mates. So that meant Gaston cared about Belle, didn’t it?

The gorillas beat their own cages in a war rhythm, including King. If he hadn’t been mad with worry, Rum would have felt honored; it was something normally only done in respect to an alpha, or some other revered older ape.

But then the shot rang out, and Belle was on the ground, and she wasn’t moving.

He gnashed his teeth and wailed in anguish, beating at the bars until his fists were bloody, then beat them some more.

“Can you sedate that thing?” he dimly heard Gaston say.

The doctor, the one who reminded him so strongly of _another_ doctor, stuck his hand through the bars and poked Rum with something sharp.

The moment he felt the sting, Rum turned blindly and grabbed the doctor’s arm before he could pull it away. He wrenched with all his strength as he felt darkness creeping in. He felt something pop and come away, and then he fell.

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes, was Bae approaching Belle while the rest of the humans paid no attention, too busy screaming in alarm at something else. He silently begged Bae to just run. And he did, but he took Belle with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bae was scared.

The humans had gorillas in things that held them still, and his Papa was trying to free them all. But Bae was scared that Papa would be hurt instead.

The female human, the Good Human, the one who smelled like Papa and something else, something softer, had left Bae’s side to try and help.

He knew he should try to help too, but he was too scared, and he didn’t know what to do.

Everything was happening too fast, and Bae couldn’t make sense of it all. The human males were making those sounds that Papa and Papa’s Mate made, but they were ugly and loud instead of soft and soothing like Papa and Papa’s Mate.

Then Papa was getting into one of those _things_ , and Bae didn’t know _what_ to do! Just when he was going to run out, to try and stop them from taking away his Papa, one of the males pointed one of those loud, scary thunder sticks at Papa’s Mate, and Papa’s Mate fell over.

Papa howled in a way Bae had never heard before, but he understood what it meant. Those human males…they had killed Papa’s Mate.

Papa was frenzied, and when a stupid human put his arm into the thing that held Papa, Papa tore the human’s arm right off. (Served him right.)

That made the rest of the human males very upset, and they left Papa’s Mate on the ground all by herself.

There was nothing he could do for Papa, Bae realized sadly. But it wasn’t right to leave her there where the humans could eat her or worse, leave her laying in the open for any scavenger to find. Papa wouldn’t want that.

So Bae gathered his courage and left the shelter of the trees. The female gorilla Papa’s Mate had tried to free sat crying, holding her young who cried as well. They mourned their friend.

Bae felt like crying too, but he had to be brave first. He touched her gently, rolling her over to find the little one still holding her. The little one looked up at him in distress, and Bae was relieved to see that he was unharmed.

Bae sniffed at her, could smell the blood that seeped out of her, turning the ground black, and the hot smell that came from the thunder sticks, and…

She didn’t smell dead at all! Bae could see the way the little one rose and fell on her chest with each breath. She was alive! But she was very, very hurt.

Now Bae realized how much more important it was for him to get her away. If those Bad Humans realized she was alive, they’d finish her off for sure.

The female gorilla told him to _take her_ , and _take the little one too_.

Bae wished he could free her and her other baby first, but understood that this was what was important now.

He picked up her body carefully, uncertainly, nervous of hurting her even more. He wasn’t even sure _how_ he would carry her if she couldn’t hold on, and she seemed so much more fragile than a gorilla or Papa.

Bae let the little one climb onto his back, and he did his upmost best to walk the way the humans walked, cradling her in his arms.

Once they were out of sight of that Bad Place, he put her down. What now?

He didn’t know how to help her…but he knew who _could_.

When Papa had been hurt by a thunder stick, Papa’s Mate and some other humans carried Papa to the Human Nesting Ground. And when Papa returned from there, he was better!

All Bae needed to do then was take Papa’s Mate to the Human Nesting Ground. But he couldn’t walk all that way on his hind legs like that.

In the end, he held her in one arm, since she wasn’t all that big, with her wound pressing against his chest to try and keep her blood inside. And though she grew heavy after a while, he did not slow, did not rest. He traveled all night until he could see the first nests of the humans.

He was frightened to go there. Animals everywhere knew better than to venture there. It was akin to a gazelle walking into a lion’s den. But he knew he must be brave. Papa was brave. Papa’s Mate was brave, too. Bae could be brave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That does it. I’m going out after her,” Ruby declared for the eighth time that week.

“And you’ll get yourself lost, stranded, and dead,” Mary Margaret said, also for the eighth time that week.

“But this is _killing_ me! Clayton and his minions are gone! She can come back now!”

“And just how exactly is she to know that?” David asked. “It’s not like we can send a messenger bird after them.”

“Just heard from the latest search party,” Jefferson said, jogging up to join them. “Still no sign of them.”

“Ugh!” Ruby wailed, throwing up her hands. Then her eyes narrowed as Asani walked by. “You! This is all _your_ fault!”

Asani didn’t respond, only glared in affront.

“Ruby,” Mary Margaret hissed.

“No! If he hadn’t gone all apeshit, egging Gaston on, Belle and Rum wouldn’t have had to run away. Now she’s God knows where.”

“She has Rum,” Jefferson said, crossing his arms. “I don’t think he’d ever let anything happen to her.”

“Yeah? And what if something happens to _him_? Belle’s crafty, but can she survive all alone in a _jungle_?!”

“The Jungle has accepted Uzuri,” Asani said. “The spirits have been appeased, all will be right now.”

“Oh shove it!” Ruby snapped. “There’s no spirits, and Rum in no jungle god!”

“Perhaps it _is_ time for you to return to your home,” Asani suggested. “As Uzuri told you.”

“Not until we knew she’s safe,” David insisted. “If we’re not welcome here any longer we’ll go, but we’re not leaving the country until Belle returns.”

Asani shook his head. “I will not turn Uzuri’s friends away.”

After Asani let Belle and Rum flee into the jungle, he ceased his attempts to hunt Rum. Gaston and his men were another story, but Asani refused to offer any more assistance or men. They were forced to return back to town with Archie, though Jefferson chose to remain behind, with Asani’s permission, to help try and locate Belle.

Maurice was frantic with worry, the lines in his face deepening with fatigue. But even after multiple search parties were sent out, no one had seen Belle or Rum in close to a month. It was like they’d disappeared into thin air.

The longer they were gone, the more Ruby worried that something had happened to her. And from the moment Ruby awoke that morning, she’d had a very bad feeling.

When she and Belle had been thirteen years old, they’d made a pact to always look out for one another. Two lonely girls without mothers, who wanted no part of the meek and proper life seeming already etched out for them. Perhaps it was just the silly type of thing all children did, but it was something Ruby still took very seriously. Even when they pulled the then-bratty Mary Margaret into their fold, becoming a trio instead of a duo, it had always been Ruby and Belle, sisters for all that they held no relation. Belle understood her in a way no one else on Earth did. What would she do without her?

Ruby snapped out of her memories and perked up at the sound of a commotion at the edge of the village. “Do you hear that?” she asked.

“You think it’s them?!” David said, and they all rushed to where people were gasping and murmuring in surprise.

There, at the very outskirt of the village, near Maurice’s hut, was a half-grown silverback gorilla.

A gorilla wandering into the village in broad daylight was surprising enough, but it was what he cradled gently in one arm that had everyone’s mouth gaping in shock.

“Belle!” Ruby cried running forward.

“Ruby, wait!” David hissed, trying and failing to stop her.

“Belle?!” Maurice exclaimed, emerging from his hut, but he was held back by Jefferson.

“Just wait,” Jefferson said.

Ruby skidded to a stop when the gorilla took a step back, growling warningly. He held Belle carefully, possessively. Protectively. He wasn’t going to give her up until he felt comfortable.

Remembering what Belle had taught them, Ruby knelt down, keeping herself from making eye contact. Instead she focused on Belle, who looked to be breathing, but was deathly pale.

Her attention was caught momentarily by a tiny face peeking out from behind the larger gorilla’s head.

She shuffled forward slowly, and remembering something, held her hand out palm up.

The gorilla seemed to relax somewhat, and took a step toward her, before delicately laying Belle on the ground. The fur where Belle had been held against was soaked and matted in blood.

Ruby lifted Belle’s head and shoulders, finding the place on her side where the blood was sluggishly pouring out. “Hurry,” she called over her shoulder.

Maurice and Jefferson were there in a second, followed closely by David and Asani. They took Belle from Ruby’s arms, and hurried her into Maurice’s hut.

Forgetting herself, Ruby looked up and met the young gorilla’s eyes. He didn’t look away, or get upset. In fact, if she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn he _nodded_ at her!

The tiny face she’d noticed before hopped down from the gorilla’s shoulders to reveal a much smaller gorilla. He made an unhappy sound and took off to follow Belle.

The silverback grunted and made chase, but Ruby caught up with the little thing ducking into the hut.

She snatched him up before he could get in the middle of Maurice and Jefferson working furiously on Belle, and Ruby’s heart broke when she realized the tiny ape was actually _crying_.

“Poor thing,” Mary Margaret whispered, gently petting his furry little back.

“There, there,” Ruby said, feeling a bit awkward rocking a baby gorilla as if he were a human baby. “She’ll be okay. She has to be.”

She looked down and jumped to find the older gorilla standing just beside her, looking up at her, worry plain in his dark, intelligent eyes. “You brought her back,” she said. “Thank you.”

She turned her head to look up the hill into the Jungle. “But where’s Rum?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I seriously had a lot of fun writing in Bae's POV, lol. :D
> 
> Next week: While Belle's friends and family work to save her life, they discover a few alarming truths.


	19. A Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle awakens, and is determined to save Rum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope all my American readers had a nice Thanksgiving! And I hope any retail-working readers survived Black Friday! lol. I meant to update yesterday but I was in an absolute stupor from being up for 24 hours between cooking, having Thanksgiving, and departing on my traditional Black Friday all-nighter with my best friend, lol.

“Rum…” Belle moaned.

A hand pressed her shoulder gently. “There now, my girl, it’s alright.”

“Papa?”

She opened her eyes slowly. The flickering lights around her brought her immediately back to that cold room in the laboratory and she slammed them back shut again, whimpering.

“Shh, it’s alright Belle, you’re safe. Take it easy, you gave us quite a scare.”

Belle cautiously opened her eyes again, wincing when her vision blurred. The flickering light was merely the lantern on the bedside table, not the unforgiving electrical lights of the lab, and she sighed in relief. “What…happened?” she murmured, slowly taking in the fact that she was inside her father’s hut, not in the laboratory, and not in the Jungle.

 “How did I get here? What happened?”

“You tell me, my girl. All I know is you were shot. What happened?”

For just a moment her mind was blank, but then it all came swarming back violently, and she flinched at the force of it. “Gaston,” she growled. “He’s poaching the gorillas. He captured Rum! I have to…”

She tried to sit up, but fell back down when the room lurched.

“Oh no you don’t,” her father said sternly. “You’re not going anywhere. The bullet entered and exited cleanly, but you lost a tremendous amount of blood, and you hit your head to boot. If your friend hadn’t gotten you here when he did…”

“Friend?” Belle asked, truly puzzled. “How _did_ I get here?”

Maurice chuckled, then nodded toward the other side of the room. Belle rolled her head, wincing all the while, and then gasped to see the far corner of the room completely taken up by a gorilla.

“Bae?!” she exclaimed.

“He has a name, then?” Maurice asked. “Ruby will be glad to hear it. He carried you here, and from quite the distance it would seem.”

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered.

Bae approached her bed cautiously, tilting his head to one side in a way that almost made her laugh, it was so like Rum.

An excited squeal was all the warning she had until another furry body was launching itself onto the bed.

“Oh no you don’t!” Maurice exclaimed, trying to grab the baby gorilla.

“Austin!” Belle cried, untangling her arms from her blankets so she could hug him. “You’re okay!”

“Austin,” Maurice said. “As in Jane? Not surprising.”

Belle smiled up at him, nodding before immediately growing sober again. “Papa, we _have_ to save Rum! He gave himself over to Gaston and Dr. Whale for me!”

“We’ll do what we can, dear, but first you must _rest_.”

“I _can’t_!” she insisted, struggling to sit up. “I can’t leave him out there! He’s in a _cage_! You don’t understand what that will do to him!”

“Belle!” Ruby exclaimed, entering the hut with David, Mary Margaret, and Jefferson on her tail. “You’re awake! David, go tell Asani and Johari!”

“You have to help me!” she cried. “I have to save Rum!”

“Where is he?” Jefferson asked.

“Gaston has him,” Belle said, explaining again about the poaching.

David returned with Asani and Johari as Belle was telling them, and she looked up at her old friend.

“Asani, listen…Kafara, he was _there_.”

“ _What_?” Asani said. “What do you mean?”

“He was there, Asani! He’s with them! I don’ t know why Gaston faked his death except to get you to help him catch Rum. He’s _selling_ him to Dr. Whale, they’re going to take him to Belgium to experiment on him. _Again_!”

“What do you mean, again?” Jefferson asked, sitting on the side of the bed and touching her shoulder soothingly.

“Rum is a _normal human_ man!” Belle said, her pulse racing with worry and the need to get her friends on her side. On _his_ side. Along with that was the rush of finally being able to tell someone about the miracle that was Rum. “He took me to an abandoned research facility, way out in the mountains. He was held there as a child, _in a cage_. He was just a normal little boy, malnourished, perhaps a little underdeveloped. His father sold him to the doctor there for an experimental drug that they believed would make you stronger. It worked…in a way. It made Rum what he is. But they abused him… _tortured_ him! He escaped when he was still a child, and that’s how he came to be with the gorillas.”

“How do you know all this?” David asked, awe plain in his eyes.

“He told me some of it, but the rest I found in…where is my bag?!”

Ruby hurried to collect the bag that had been set aside and forgotten in their rush to save her. Belle fished out the folder and book, handing them to her father. “The whole thing is in that journal. And information about the drug is in the folder.”

Maurice looked over the book, his expression growing more bleak with every passage. “That poor boy…” he whispered.

When he turned to the file, Jefferson held out his hand for the journal, examining the outside first. “Belle…did you read the inscription?”

“What inscription?” Belle asked, leaning over to see.

Jefferson rubbed at the cover, clearing dirt away from where a name was etched into the leather binding, then handed it back to Belle.

“Doctor Alphonse…Whale…”

“I heard Viktor say that his father disappeared out here when he was but a boy. The bastard must have known more about his father’s work than he let on.”

“He wants to further his father’s studies,” Belle whispered. “The drugs are gone, but he still has Rum.”

“He’ll try to use Rum’s blood,” Jefferson said. “Perhaps his skin. He’ll try every part of him to see if he can use it to recreate the drug.”

Belle looked up at him pleadingly. “You have to help me save him. _Please_.”

“Belle,” Maurice said. “I want to help the man as well, but perhaps we should simply alert the authorities and leave it to them.”

“And then what? What happens to Rum then? They’ll just put him in another cage!”

“She’s right,” Jefferson said. “Even if we have no choice but to reveal Rum to the world, we need to be the ones to get him first.”

“Then you go,” Maurice said, waving a hand at Jefferson impatiently. “But Belle’s staying here.”

“Oh, no I’m not,” Belle insisted, swinging her legs over the bed.

“Belle, you almost _died_ ,” Ruby insisted. “Like, _yesterday_! I’ll go with Jefferson, I swear I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“I _have_ to go,” Belle said, tears welling in her eyes. “I won’t leave him alone out there. He needs me.”

When she got to her feet, she was surprised by how steady she felt. She still didn’t feel 100 percent, but better than she thought she probably should, if the others weren’t exaggerating her condition.

“Belle, for Christ’s sake, lay down!” her father commanded, and the uncharacteristic sternness in his voice surprised her into obeying. “Foolish girl, you’ve probably broken open your…”

He was talking while in the process of pulling up her shift, his panic giving her only enough time to cover her lower half with the sheet, and he peeled back her bandage when he trailed off. Everyone gathered stared in astonishment at the bullet wound that was already healed over with a healthy looking scab.

“Impossible,” Jefferson said. “How…”

“Mtule,” Asani said, smiling. “You were chosen, Uzuri.”

“Oh, enough,” Johari said. “There must be another explanation.”

“Jefferson mentioned Rum’s blood being a possible link to the drug,” Ruby said. “Belle, did you get Rum’s blood on you, or into you somehow?”

Belle shook her head, fingering the wound delicately. “No…”

“Maybe just being near him for so long,” Mary Margaret said.

“No,” Jefferson said, scratching his chin. “It would need to be more than that. It would have had to be like an injection. Unless…”

Belle glanced up, then flushed scarlet at the knowing look on Jefferson’s face. Ruby was the first to catch on, gasping in dramatic glee. When the others slowly understood, there was an awkward silence.

“Well, um…” Maurice cleared his throat uncomfortably. “ _Regardless_ , you need to stay in bed and finish healing. Let the others go after Rum.”

“I can’t do that, Papa,” she said softly. “I _won’t_ do that. I think I can get Bae to lead us back there. I’ll rest here until morning, but then I’m going after him.”

Maurice sighed, suddenly looking older. “I already lost you once, Belle. For all that it was my own damn fault, I can’t…”

Belle reached over and placed her hand over his. “You never lost me, Papa. And you never will. But I have to save him. Would you not have moved heaven and earth for Mama?”

The mention of Collette made him smile sadly. “So that’s the measure of it, then? You love this man, this Rum,” it wasn’t a question, and Belle felt an immense relief that neither was it a judgement.

“More than anything, Papa.”

He chuckled, squeezing her hand. “I would have moved more than heaven and earth for your mother. But the truth is, _she_ was one who moved. She was the brave one, the one always saving people. She was a hero. And you, my darling Isabelle Jane, are just like her.”

Maurice could never have known what those words meant to Belle, and she couldn’t figure out the words to tell him, so she only kissed his cheek, her own cheeks damp with tears. “I like to think I’m a lot like _you_.”

He looked away to brush off his own tears, and patted her hand. “Well then, best rest up now, my girl. You have a big day ahead of you.”

 

“So…” Ruby said the following morning as they prepared to leave. “How was it?”

“How was what?” Belle asked, knowing full well what she meant.

“” _Howwaswhat”_ , you know! Was he a natural? Being all animalistic and everything…”

“Ruby,” Mary Margaret scolded. “You should be ashamed.”

“Well I’m not!” Ruby insisted. “Nor am I ashamed of Belle. She got her man, and she went for it!”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “I’m not ashamed of you, either, Belle. Lord knows I didn’t manage to wait for my wedding night.”

Belle’s eyes widened. “ _Really_?”

Mary Margaret smirked while Ruby wailed. “No fair! Now I’m the only one missing out!”

“We’ll see what we can do about that later,” Jefferson teased, making them all blush to be caught having such a conversation. “You ladies ready?”

“Are you sure about coming?” Belle asked her friends. “It’ll be dangerous.”

“Uh uh,” Ruby said. “We are _not_ letting you venture out to have all the adventures without us again!”

Belle smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t do as I told you and went home.”

David joined them, smirking. “We’ll never do as you tell us.”

“Mary Margaret?”

Mary Margaret smacked him.

Belle turned to Bae, who hadn’t left her side once. Neither had Austin, of course, who clung to her shoulders.

Biting her lip, she pulled Austin to her front, cuddling him close. “You can’t come, little one,” she said softly.

She thought a moment, then walked over to her father. “Will you keep him? Take care of him until I get back?”

Maurice sighed, still not thrilled with the idea of her leaving, but held out his hands. “I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

Belle didn’t relinquish the baby just yet. “I’ll save your Mama,” she told him. “And Juliette, and Kipling, and everyone else that I can. But I have to save Rum first.”

She looked at Bae again, and he huffed a series of sounds at Austin. Austin whined pitifully, but when Belle handed him off to her father, he went willingly.

Belle kissed her father’s cheek. “I’ll be back,” she promised. “With Rum.”

“You best bring him back with a marriage mind,” he said gruffly.

Belle rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Just as soon as I finish explaining to him what marriage _is_.”

It must not have been the answer he expected, what with her well-known stance on marriage, because his eyes widened. “You truly love him, don’t you?”

“I do, Papa.”

“Then bring him home, my girl.”

Belle nodded and turned to Asani, who stood nearby with Johari, and she was startled to find him dressed for battle. “Asani…what…”

“I am coming with you,” he said.

Belle shook her head. “No, you can’t! You’re needed here, Asani.”

“ _I have wronged you, my sister,”_ he said. _“And in doing so I wronged my people. I’ve been so busy blaming everything and everyone else for everything that has happened._ Rum _is not a Mnyama. But you_ are _his chosen one. And he is yours. I will help you save him. Not to appease the spirits, but to appease my own._ ”

Belle smiled. “ _Then I welcome your help with all my heart, brother.”_

He held up a dagger that had been passed down from generation to generation of Hadithi kings. The curved blade was believed to be the fang of an ancient sabretooth. “ _I have Jabali’s spirit with me.”_

Belle nodded. “Let’s go.”

Once they reached the river bend, Belle knelt down before Bae. She let out a quick breath through her nose, getting his attention.

“I don’t know how to communicate to you what we need you to do, Bae. But we need you to take us to where Rum was captured. You need to take us to…” she looked into his eyes, seeing him struggle to understand. “Your Papa.”

Bae grunted and turned around, looking over his shoulder at her before taking off. “Come on!” Belle called, running after him.

It was a struggle for everyone to keep up. Asani ran effortlessly, and after a month in the jungle Belle was fit and strong, but the others were panting in exhaustion before long, and Bae was very fast.

But he slowed when they did, never letting himself get out of sight.

“We can’t keep up this pace,” Jefferson said. “We’ll be dead on our feet before we can get there, and no good at all to Rum.”

“Maybe I should go ahead with Bae,” Belle said. “I can ride on his back.”

“Not alone,” Asani said. “I can keep up with him.”

“How will the rest of us know where to go?” David asked.

Belle smiled slyly, then turned a pointed look to Mary Margaret.

“What? Me?” she squeaked.

“Don’t you remember how you led the way home when Rum was injured? The rest of us would have been lost, but you knew the way.”

“That was different,” she said nervously.

Belle shook her head, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “No, I don’t think so. I know you can do it, Mary Margaret. Bae will leave a clear trail. You can track him.”

Mary Margaret chewed on her lip before nodding. “I won’t let you down, Belle.”

“And if that fails, we’ll follow the stench of gorilla,” Ruby quipped, earning a huff from Bae.

“Be careful,” David said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You as well,” Belle beckoned to Bae, and he held still while she climbed onto his back.

“Okay, that’s impressive,” she heard Ruby murmur

Bae took off like a bolt then, and Belle could only hang on and hope Asani could keep up.

It was a long time before she began to recognize their surroundings, and she was amazed at how far Bae had carried her to get her home.

When they reached the clearing where the camp had been, Bae stopped, whining in distress.

“This was where the poachers were loading the gorillas,” she said, relieved to find Asani jogging up behind them.

“They would have headed for the coast,” he said.

“Of course,” she breathed. “They’ll put them on a ship. We have to get there fast!”

“This way,” Asani said, motioning for Bae to follow.

They broke into the open savannah, and Belle tensed when she saw a pride of lionesses watching their passing in interest. But then she recognized the scarred one, and knew they were the friends Rum had introduced her to.

Bae let out a howl, one that sounded remarkably like the one unique to Rum, and the lionesses got to their feet and followed, leaving only the mother who watched them go beside her growing cubs.

“What are they doing?” Asani asked in fear, edging closer to her and Bae.

Belle gave an amazed laugh. “They’re coming to help us!”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

She turned back to focus on the open land before them, trying to mentally calculate how much more daylight they had before they reached the coast, and praying that they were faster than transporting a dozen angry gorillas. She kept getting visions of Rum locked in that cage, the wide-eyed, wild look on his face, kept seeing doctors poking and prodding him, onlookers gawking, and it was enough to make her feel sick. She didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t get to him in time, so she resolutely ignored the possibility.

_I’m coming, Rum_ , she thought desperately. _I’m coming_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only THREE chapters left!!! :O 
> 
> Next week: Belle and her friends fight to try and save Rum.


	20. Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fight at the marina to save Rum and the gorillas.

It was late afternoon when at long last, they reached the coast. And down the steep, rocky hill, was a small private marina. The lionesses skidded to a stop on either side of them, and Belle looked around desperately for any sign of Rum. There will multiple outbuildings and men mulling about, and two large cargo ships in the port, with a third already out to sea. Belle prayed that Rum wasn’t aboard that one.

“Gorillas,” Asani said, pointing down toward the farthest dock.

Several cages were being slowly loaded onto the ship, and she suspected there were more already on board.

“Rum must be on that ship,” she said.

“We’ll sneak aboard.”                                   

“No…wait…” she squinted into the distance, zeroing in on a hulking shape. “There! That last cage! That’s King!”

“King?”

“The troop’s alpha. We need to free him first. That’s what Rum was trying to do before.”

Asani eyed the angry, massive silverback dubiously. “Are you sure, Uzuri? Perhaps we should wait for the others.”

“I’m sure. But I wish we had a distraction…” she looked back, at the herd of wildebeest they’d passed, grazing atop the hill.

She looked down at the scarred lioness, who returned her look with one she could swear was downright maleficent.

Belle jerked her head once, and the lionesses took off toward the wildebeest.

“Come on, we haven’t much time.”

“How did you do that?” Asani asked, looking from her to the retreating lionesses in amazement.

“I’m not sure, but let’s not question it,” she nudged Bae forward. “Come on!”

In the time it took to run down the hill, the herd of wildebeest came thundering down the other side, lionesses snarling and snapping at their legs. She prayed no one innocent would be hurt as the herd crashed into buildings, causing men to scream and scatter.

“Asani, look out!”

Asani leapt onto the roof of one of the small buildings to avoid being trampled. For the moment he was stuck, and Belle had no choice but to urge Bae on. Conveniently enough, he spotted a crowbar laying on the ground, and leaned, pulling Bae to the side to try and grab it. She missed, but it was snatched up in the jaws of the scarred lion, who ran alongside Bae close enough that Belle could take it.

“Thanks, Mal!” she yelled as the lioness tackled one of the poachers to the ground.

The moment they reached King’s cage, she leapt off Bae’s back. He was roaring madly, the bars all warped and dented around him.

She wondered at last if this was a good idea, but when King saw her approach, he stilled and watched her warily as she jabbed the crowbar up under the door.

Bae helped her push down, but it took several tries before something finally _popped_ and the door slid up.

“Hey! What are you doing you little…”

Kafara stood behind them, aiming a gun, but it fell from terrified hands when King emerged from the cage, gently nudging Belle out of the way, then reared up to his full, towering height, beating his chest hard enough to make the ground beneath them shake.

Belle turned away and tried to block out Kafara’s screams as she climbed onto Bae once more. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s find your Papa.”

They reached the dock to see that the ship had already set sail, the men aboard doubtlessly panicked by the stampede. “No!”

“Need a ride?”

“ _What_?!”

Jefferson pulled up on a small steam-powered tugboat, with David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby all smiling and waving.

“How?!” Belle exclaimed.

“Turns out, Mary Margaret’s every bit the tracker you said she was,” Jefferson said. And then we just followed the huge fucking stampede. You’ll have to tell us _that_ story later. I found this baby across the bay,” he indicated the boat, pulling his top hat down over his eyes in a dramatic salute.

“You…weren’t wearing that hat earlier.”

“Don’t ask,” Ruby said, rolling her eyes. “Just get in!”

Belle shook her head and jumped in, followed more hesitantly by Bae, then at the last second by Asani.

The tugboat caught up quickly, and Jefferson maneuvered it to the front before handing the wheel over to David. “Don’t suppose you can convince your primate friend here to hook this up there?” he asked, pulling out the crane rope and gesturing to a metal ring on the ship.

Belle looked long at Bae before nodding, and the ape grabbed the hook and leapt, catching himself on the ring and attached their boat to the ship before jumping back down.

“Try to shut off the propellers if you can,” David said. “We’ll tow it back to shore.”

Belle nodded, then grabbed onto Bae once more. He leapt up, using the rope to propel himself all the way to the deck. A glance back told her Asani was right behind them.

The full crew wasn’t aboard; they must have left men behind. But they all stopped what they were doing and shouted in various languages the moment they saw Belle and Bae.

“Rum!” she shouted, sliding off of Bae’s back.

“BELLE!”

He was somewhere inside the ship. Three men were rushing them, but Bae tore after them with a roar, and they were all overboard before they could so much as scream.

“Go, Uzuri!” Asani exclaimed. “We will take care of the ship!” he grinned conspiratorially at Bae, and offered the back of his hand, which Bae nudged with his own. He looked so much more like the boy Belle remembered as her best friend that she could have wept, but there were far more important things to do.

She left the men to Asani and Bae as she jumped into the hull, finding all of the rest of the gorillas in their cages…and Rum.

“Oh, Rum!” she cried, dropping to her knees in front of his cage.

“Belle…” he sighed, tears springing to his eyes as he reached for her. “My Belle…”

He looked near deranged, his hair wild, his hands bleeding, and he was covered in other blood splatters that didn’t seem to be his. His wrapper clung stubbornly to his hips, however, and she wondered that he hadn’t torn it off in frustration.

“I’ll get you out of here,” she crooned, cursing herself for not keeping the crowbar.

“How sweet.”

Belle grit her teeth and turned. Not surprised in the least to find Gaston lurking in the shadows.

“It’s over, Gaston,” she said. “We’ve taken down the marina and…”

Just then, the propellers shut off, and she smiled. _Asani_.

“And your ship is being towed to shore. Just surrender now, and we’ll take Rum and the gorillas, and you can just… _go.”_

“Hm, I don’t think so,” he said. “You see, I _shot_ you. You should be laid up somewhere, if not dead. That tells me there _must_ be something to the good doctor’s hypothesis.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Clayton!” Whale called, struggling down the narrow steps. “The rest of the crew went overboard. We…” he trailed off. “I thought you killed her.”

Belle’s eyes widened at the sight of the bandaged stump that was all that remained of his arm.

“It would seem she’s magically healed, doctor. She must know something we don’t.”

“You grazed me,” she spat. “The wound wasn’t serious at all. I only played dead to get away.”

Gaston shook his head. “I don’t think so. I watched it go through.”

“Tell me what you know,” Whale snapped, lurching toward her, his bloodshot eyes wide and manic. “What did you do?”

Belle couldn’t help but smirk. “I don’t think you’d like the answer.”

Whale’s only remaining arm whipped out, and a hand wrapped around her throat. Rum roared behind her, and she could feel his fingers grazing her back.

“That fucking animal ripped my arm off. You’ll _tell_ me what you know of his healing ability or I swear I will snap your neck.”

“Why have you done this?” she croaked, scratching at his hand, trying to pry it off, but in his demented state, Whale was incredibly strong. “Your father tormented a child for years for some bloody _drug_. You really want to be like him?” she stepped backward, slowly, pulling him on.

“My father was a _genius_ ,” he hissed. “He was on the verge of discovering the key to eternal life…to bringing back the _dead_! I _will_ take up where he left off!”

“Your father…was a monster…” she wheezed. “And so are you.”

She had finally backed up close enough that Rum could reach, and feeling his arms snake around her felt like heaven regardless of the situation. He pried Whale’s fingers off her neck with a jerk, and she thought she heard a _crack_.

Whale screamed in pain, and Gaston lunged forward, shoving the butt of his rifle through the bars and into Rum’s stomach, make him lose his grip on Belle.

“Well, I can still sell him to the Belgiums, he said, dragging Belle away.

“Let her go!” Rum screamed.

A looming shape dropped suddenly into the brig, and filled up the space almost entirely.

King turned slowly until he found Gaston, whose jaw dropped and face paled. King cupped his palm around Belle’s side, gently pulling her from Gaston’s unresisting hands and pushing her behind him and toward Rum, before roaring in Gaston’s face.

Coming back to his senses, Gaston raised his rifle and fired, causing King to stumble back.

Belle cried out in alarm and rushed to Rum, who grasped her almost painfully.

King lunged for Gaston again, backhanding him and sending him flying across the brig where he landed against the wall with a sickening crunch. He didn’t get back up.

Breathing heavily, King turned and nudged Belle away again before ripping the door off Rum’s cage.

When another shot rang out, and King roared in pain, Belle gasped and turned to find Whale standing, barely managing to hold up a pistol in his one injured hand. He fired again, and again, each time slowing the magnificent beast until the gun clicked and King finally slumped to the ground.

Whale tossed the gun away and ran up the stairs.

“Oh no…” Belle whimpered as Rum stumbled forward.

Bae dropped down into the brig, carrying the crowbar, but paused to stare in shock at King.

Rum made unintelligible sounds, but somehow Belle knew them to be desperate last words to a frightful, but honored king.

Belle turned away from the heartbreaking scene and took the crowbar from Bae, hurrying to release the gorillas, starting with Austin’s mother, who to her relief still held Juliette. And Kipling was found with his own mother nearby.

When she returned to Rum, King was dead, and he hovered over the gorilla with his fists clenched.

“Let’s go, Rum.”

“No,” he growled.

“Rum…no…let us take care of Whale. I won’t let you kill him out of revenge. He isn’t worth darkening your soul that way!”

“Already dark,” he said. “Because of men like _him_.”

“No you’re not!” Belle said firmly. “You’re anything _but_ dark, Rum! You’re everything that’s good and _right_ in this world! At least…at least in _my_ world…”

Rum sighed and looked at her at last, his eyes softening at the sight of her, then he looked her up and down, searching for injury. “Belle…I thought…I thought…”

Belle framed his face with her hands and kissed him. “We have Bae to thank for that. He saved my life.”

He looked down at Bae and smiled.

“Now, come on, we best go check on the others.”

“Others?”

“Jefferson, Ruby, David, Mary Margaret, and Asani! Oh, and the lionesses were a big help as well.”

“Asani?” he asked wonder.

“Mmhmm, even him. We all came to save you, my love.”

Rum smiled, but it morphed to one of fear when they heard a scream.

“Ruby!” Belle cried, breaking for the stairs.

“Come on, mate, it’s over,” Killian was saying when they emerged. “You’re just making it worse for us.”

Whale had Ruby in his one arm, a knife held to her neck. “I want the monster, and I want him _now_!”

Rum growled low in his throat, grabbing Belle who made like she was going to run to her friend and pulling her roughly behind him.

“Let. Her. Go…” Rum said, low and dangerously.

“If I can’t take you alive, I want you _dead_! Now walk over here, slowly, or I’ll slit her throat!”

Asani and Jefferson were inching slowly around Whale, trying to flank him from all sides, but he remained focused solely on Rum.

Rum darted forward with inhuman speed, wrenching Whale’s arm back, pulling Ruby against his chest before turning and all but throwing the girl at Jefferson who was waiting to catch her.

Whale broke free and struck out, slicing Rum across his chest. “I’ll bleed you out,” he said wildly. “I’ll _drink_ your blood if I have to, and then I’ll be unstoppable!”

Whale struck again, and Rum dodged, but in his desperation, Whale was fast. He darted to Killian, snatching his gun from his belt and shoving him overboard before aiming wildly, causing everyone else to scatter.

Rum dropped to the deck to avoid the bullet, then barreled forward, dodging another shot by a hair.

When Whale aimed again, the shot went up as Asani tackled him from behind, grappling with him for the gun. Rum made to join the fray, but another shot rang out, and this one found purchase.

“ASANI!” Belle screamed.

Asani stood up, looking down in bemused wonder at the blooming stain of red on his clothes.

“NO!” Rum roared, ripping the gun from Whale’s hand and turning it, aiming it inexpertly at the doctor.

“Go ahead,” Whale gasped, leaning heavily on the railing. “Shoot me. Be a man.”

Rum snarled, shaking slightly as he considered it. “Not a man like you,” he crushed the gun in his hand, and shoved Whale overboard.

While Jones and the other men had made it to shore and the awaiting authorities, Whale’s injuries attracted the attention of some interested crocodiles…

Rum watched as the doctor vanished into a feeding frenzy.

Belle caught Asani as he collapsed, sobbing as she held his head to her chest. “Jefferson, do something!”

Jefferson ripped away Asani’s robe, and winced at the wound he found there. He took off his jacket and held it to wound, attempting to staunch the blood.

“Uzuri,” Asani wheezed. “ _My sister._ ”

“ _Hush now,”_ she whispered. _“You need to save your strength!”_

_“I think Jabali is ready for me now.”_

_“Don’t say that!_ ” she looked up, finding Rum hovering worriedly above her. “Is there anything you can do?”

Rum looked at the cut on his chest, already healing but still oozing a bit of blood. He gathered it on his palm and pressed it to Asani’s wound. Belle held her breath, but nothing seemed to be changing.

“I don’t think it works that way,” Jefferson said sadly.

“Then how _does_ it work?” Belle demanded.

“It doesn’t…heal what is already…gone,” Asani breathed. He held up his dagger in a shaking hand. “Take it, my beloved…Uzuri. Take care of…them…”

Belle took the dagger just as Asani’s hand fell. She laid him down gently before turning to Rum, wordlessly asking for his arms, which he instantly provided.

 

The gorillas carried King’s body from the ship, and left him in the savannah, as tribute to the lionesses for their help.

The men of the marina, and authorities who had finally arrived, watched the proceedings in astonishment, made even more when the gorillas were seemingly led by creature who looked neither man nor beast.

But no one tried to stop Belle and the others when they carried Asani’s body into in the jungle. It was a long walk, taking turns carrying him on a makeshift cot, but they would not leave him behind.

It was Rum and Belle who carried him the last of the way into the village, and cries rang out from every corner.

Johari was awaiting her husband, seemingly already having known somehow that his spirit had gone. Their children huddled close, reaching out for their father.

“He saved me,” Rum told Johari sadly. “You will have my service, always.”

Johari nodded. Belle held out the dagger to her. “He gave it to _you_ , Uzuri,” she said.

“It belongs to the leader of the Hadithi,” Belle corrected. “That should be you.”

Johari smiled, and shook her head. “Ah, but I was not born here, Uzuri. _You_ were. They are _your_ people.”

Belle looked around, surprised to find not a single soul looking ready to argue. Even the elders inclined their heads respectfully.

“I am not a leader,” Belle said. “But if I am to be, then my first command as Queen…is to step down. To _you_ Johari. I’ve seen how you lead these people in Asani’s absence. I think there is no one better suited.”

At last, Johari accepted the dagger, and Belle bowed respectfully.

A string of chattering had Belle turning to find her father struggling to keep Austin from jumping down. Belle smiled and opened her arms, and the little ape flew down right into them.

“I have a surprise for you,” she whispered.

The Hadithi began murmuring in fearful reverence as the entire gorilla troop entered the village, moving slowly among the people.

Austin squealed in happiness at this sight of his family, and abandoned Belle at last in exchange for his mother.

She was happy to see him return to his family, but couldn’t fight a twinge of melancholy until a rough, warm hand slipped into hers.

“Okay?” Rum asked, and she looked up to find his wide golden eyes gazing at her in concern.

“I will be,” she said, squeezing his hand back. “ _We_ will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can see the torches and pitchforks already!! *hides*
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter will make up for the sadness of this one....Jungle smut anyone? ;D Two chapters left!!


	21. Two Worlds...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asani's funeral, followed by a more private reunion between Belle and Rum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the penultimate chapter, guys!!! And yes, yes, Jungle Smut™ lol.

As was Hadithi tradition, Asani was wrapped in ceremonial robes and put on a pier to burn, with sweet herbs, and charms and items that would help his soul reach the afterlife. Friends and family added sentimental baubles, believing he would take them – or at least the love that came with them – into the next life.

Belle held the beaded necklace gifted by him to her when they were children, hesitating to place it on the pier. It would have been fitting, but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to give up the last link she had to him, and placed it back over her head. Johari noticed, but said nothing.

Rum was at her side the entire time, a strong, silent comfort.

After Asani’s burning and burial, the Hadithi turned to merriment, to honor and celebrate the man’s life. A new fire burned, and the people sang and danced around it.

“He was my very first friend,” Belle said, not needing to look to know that Rum was just behind her shoulder, listening intently. “My first love, really. He was as close as a brother, and yet if things had been different, doubtless we would have married.”

For that she was glad things had happened the way they had. She wouldn’t trade her Rum for anything, and she knew without a doubt that Asani had felt the exact same way about Johari. Theirs would never have been a great love, but Belle couldn’t help but miss the life she didn’t get to have with him, even just as his friend.

“I hate that I didn’t get to come home sooner.”

“Because of me he is gone,” Rum said sadly.

“Don’t say that,” Belle snapped, turning. “You didn’t ask Asani to do what he did. He was brave, and a hero. As are you.”

Rum sighed. “But Rum is why Belle fought with Asani. Why we spent so long away.”

“ _Rum_ is why Asani sent for Belle in the first place,” it was Johari who spoke, looking tall and proud, as befitting a queen and widow to a great king. But her eyes showed the anguish she was burying inside. “Not just the letters, but prayers and offerings to the gods. For you to come and restore order.”

“I didn’t restore anything,” Belle said. “You know Rum is no spirit.”

Johari looked away, to the dancing villagers. “I know that in the past month, our crops have come up. Our beasts have been healthy, and giving birth. Two babies were born, and they are hale and healthy.”

Belle furrowed her brow. “But…”

Johari held up a hand, smiling. “Is it a coincidence? Or are both you and your Rum more powerful than you know? I do not know, Uzuri, but it does not matter. Because my husband went to the afterlife having seen his people set to rights, and his own soul as well. It is all any of us could have asked for. And I have you to thank for that,” she looked up at Rum. “ _Both_ of you.”

Belle couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just smiled, and returned the hug that Johari offered.

“Now go, my sister. Dance. Asani would not want sadness now.”

Belle looked up at Rum, smiling, and to her surprise it was he who took her hand and led her to the fire and into a dance. Unlike his clumsy attempts before, Rum mimicked the other dancers perfectly, making _Belle_ feel like the clumsy one! But she laughed and held him tight, just knowing Asani was smiling down on their antics.

 

The gorillas were in attendance to the celebration, blending in with the people as if they’d always been there. It was perhaps only a temporary merging, but it was magical all the same.

Belle watched in amazement as an elderly Hadithi man shared his mango with one of the older female gorillas. And the little ones played with the Hadithi children, all with identical smiles on their faces, as Maurice supervised.

Bae was becoming surprisingly attached to Mary Margaret, who wasn’t sure how to handle that at all, but seemed content enough.

Belle found Rum deep in conversation with David, and though it was a charming sight, she drew him away, almost unseen save a nod from David and a waggle of eyebrows from Ruby, who was sitting close enough to Jefferson as to be nearly on top of him.

She led him, unprotestingly, by the hand away from the village and into the jungle, near the place they met the very first time, all those years ago. For a long time neither spoke, simply enjoying the peace and quiet, and being together. But eventually Belle had to ask the question that had been burning in the back of her mind.

“Will you lead them? The gorillas?” she asked quietly.

“Hm, no,” he said. “Bae will lead them.”

Belle looked up in surprise. “Bae? Really? He’s so young…”

“But he can do it. He is ready. He is brave.”

“That he is,” Belle agreed with a soft smile. “Then what about you…what…er, what will you do now?”

Rum looked at her as if it were a silly question. “Stay with Belle…won’t I?”

Belle grinned. “I’d hoped so.”

“Maurice says…Rum needs to…make honest woman of you.”

Belle wrapped her arms around him, laughing. “Oh, don’t listen to him.”

“Rum thinks you’re very honest.”

“Oh darling, that isn’t what he meant.”

Rum grinned impishly. “I know.”

“Oh? What do you know, Rum?” she teased.

He caught on easily, walking along with her, swinging their joined hands.

“David says to get on one knee, because it is like begging.”

Belle laughed harder. “He didn’t! When did you have time to talk with him and Papa about this?”

“Just tonight,” he said, cutting his eyes down to her. “ _Belle_ says…” he continued more seriously. “That we should protect each other, teach each other…and love each other.”

“We already do,” Belle pointed out, turning to face him so she could lean her body against his.

“We do.”

“Then I pronounce us husband and wife,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

He returned her kiss with fervor, running his hands up and down her body in a way that made her just want to crawl inside of him.

She buried her hands in his hair, tugging sharply, and he let out a muffled groan. Before she knew it, she was pressed against the trunk of a tree, and he pulled back, blinking in dazed lust.

“Perhaps we should not,” he said, no doubt remembering the last time.

“You won’t hurt me this time,” she whispered, hoping she didn’t sound quite as desperate as she felt, but _God_ she wanted him.

She reached down and untied his new wrapper, before wrapping her hand around his hard and ready cock. He groaned in the back of his throat, but it bubbled up into a growl when she slowly stroked him.

“Belle…” he gritted out, pumping his hips. “ _My_ Belle…”

“Your Belle,” she breathed. “My… _Mnyama…_ ”

Rum pushed her none-too-gently onto the ground, but she wasted no time in grabbing his arms and pulling him over her. “Come on then,” she whispered, grinning mischievously. “Claim what’s yours.”

He bared his teeth in what was almost too feral to truly be considered a smile, and began tearing at her dress.

She hoped dimly that she would in some way be able to put it back on, but at the moment she hardly cared as he ripped it from her body, leaving her bare beneath him.

He kissed and licked down her body, pausing every now and then to bite… _hard_. She moaned with every catch of his teeth, knowing he marked her, and loving every second. He focused momentarily on the scar on her side, licking it soothingly.

Dazed as she was, she looked down at him, combing her fingers in his hair. “See? You didn’t hurt me. You saved me.”

He paused, tilting his head in puzzlement. “Do you mean…?”

“Mmhmm. But we can talk about that later.”

Rum was too far gone to disagree, and went back to his work, making his way assuredly to her center, where he inhaled almost obscenely before applying his mouth to her in the most devastating way.

There was none of the hesitance of before…he _ravished_ her. And all she could do was writhe and moan and clutch his hair.

She broke apart faster than she ever had before, sobbing his name.

When he worked his way back to her face, he was grinning wickedly.

Feeling like turnabout was fair play, she got a knee under him and flipped them over, looming over him a moment before kissing him soundly.

She copied the path he’d taken with her, biting his skin harder than instinct led her to, knowing it would take quite a bit of pressure to leave even a short-lived mark. And she _wanted_ to mark him. To show every woman in that village that she’d caught eyeing him that night that he was _her_ mate. Hers alone.

He hissed loudly when her face became level with his cock, and some of her confidence fled her. When she glanced up at him, his wild expression had melted to one of tenderness, and that was what made up her mind.

His cock was the same pebbled texture and greenish-gold color as the rest of him, though currently it was flushed much darker. She wondered, dimly, if the scales made any difference in how he felt within her than a normal man.

But she never intended to find out, so she mentally shrugged and got back to the task at hand. First she kissed the dark, smooth head, then ducked to lick a stripe from base to tip. He whined, making sounds she knew was the sort of gorilla language he spoke, followed by something that sounded like “please.”

Taking pity on him, she let the head slip past her lips, and tried to take as much of it into her mouth as she could. She had no clue if this was even a normal part of lovemaking, but it felt good to _her_ , and judging by the way Rum was thrashing, it felt pretty good to him too.

She was just deciding that she rather liked taste of him when he was suddenly jerking her away, actually picking her bodily up with just his fingers to set her astride him. No matter how many times she witnessed his strength, she didn’t think it would ever cease to arouse her, especially when he applied it to her.

Worry flashed in his eyes again, but she bent to try and kiss it away. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he replied.

Going by her original instincts, and trying to avoid a repeat of last time, she held his cock steady with her hand, and slowly lowered herself onto it.

Rum held completely still, letting her gradually set the pace. Once he was completely inside her, she paused, gasping at the sensation.

She felt full and deliciously stretched, but it wasn’t painful in the least.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “No pain.”

He smiled, and she began to rock her hips, finding an angle that had him rubbing against her _just_ right.

Rum gripped her thighs hard enough to bruise, and she saw how it was taking every single ounce of control he had to keep from thrusting.

But she didn’t want it like this anymore than she wanted it like the way it was before. She wanted to make love _with_ him.

“You won’t hurt me,” she said again. “Please, Rum, I need you to…” she increased her speed, but she knew it wasn’t enough for him. And she _needed_ him to come almost more than she needed to breathe.

“I’m your mate, Rum,” she growled sharply, “now fucking _take_ me!”

Rum’s eyes snapped open, and his hips jerked up, almost unseating her, and she cried out in bliss while he snarled wildly.

He flipped them back over, nearly knocking the breath out of her when her back collided with the ground, and set a punishing pace that had her toes curling and her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

He positively rutted into her, snapping his hips over and over, hitting _something_ inside her that made her see stars.

She broke again with a scream, feeling the warmth of him emptying himself inside.

After a last few jerky thrusts, he collapsed on top of her, and she accepted his warm weight gleefully.

“Belle…” he groaned. “Belle…oh…kay?”

“I’m wonderful,” she breathed, giggling in a way that could have been confused for gasping. “But we seemed to have reduced you to monosyllables again.”

He chuckled, and rolled off of her, gathering her to him when she whined in protest.

“Told you we could do it without anyone getting hurt.”

“Speak…for yourself…Rum can’t…move.”

He had a point. She could feel that she was covered in bruises and scratches, but it was only awareness, not _pain_ , and it was a little strange how much she liked it. “Ugh,” she groaned, looking up past his head. “We had an audience.”

Rum twisted his head to look up at the group of baboons that were watching from the trees. He snarled at them, and they fled, chattering into the night.

“We need to find a place where we can do this indoors,” Belle said. “I’ve become acquainted with enough highly intelligent animals the past couple of months to know I’d rather not be observed by them. I feel like they’re judging our technique or something.”

Rum chuckled again. “They only said I should twist my hips next time.”

Belle slapped his shoulder. “They did not!”

“They did.”

“Be serious, Rum. You’ll…really make a home here? With me? With…people?”

“Anywhere Belle is, I will be,” he said without hesitation.

 “Anywhere? What if I needed to leave? Go to London, even temporarily.”

He gulped. “Then…I go too.”

Belle kissed him. “I don’t plan to go to London. But it’s nice to know I’ll always have you beside me.”

“Here, my Belle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope it met expectations! :D Just one more short chapter to go, but fear not! I will soon start posting a sequel!!!!! As soon as I come up with a good title for it... lol.
> 
> Also...I wouldn't be opposed to prompts set within this verse. If you feel like prompting me on Tumblr, you can find me under the same name, CrossingInStyle ;)
> 
> Next Week: ......you'll just have to wait and see!


	22. ...One Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Rum's Happy Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!!!! The final chapter!!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, left kudos, liked on Tumblr, and especially to those who have left encouraging words nearly every chapter. I had a blast writing this.
> 
> When I first started writing Mnyama I had an ENTIRE second plot lined out, before realizing that it was a little too much to happen in just one story. So, the sequel is in the works! You can expect the first chapter after Christmas! (Hopefully, lol. I have a few kinks in the story to work out first.)
> 
> But there's more! Keep an eye out next week for a short Christmas one-shot in the verse. And also check out the end notes of this chapter, I included a tiny sneak peek of Mnyama part 2. ;)

Belle and Rum stood by the river bend, preparing to say goodbye to the gorilla troop, who were going to the mountains for the rain season.

“But they’ll come back, right?” Belle asked, cradling Austin in her arms while Juliette and Kipling clung to her back and legs, respectively.

“Do not worry,” Rum said, smiling lovingly at her. Lately, the looks he gave her whenever she fawned over the baby gorillas gave her a particularly warm feeling. “Gorillas have long memories. They won’t forget about us.”

“And we won’t forget them.”

Rum almost didn’t have to bend any longer to look Bae in the eye, and Belle wondered at how much bigger the young gorilla would be the next time they met. She stood back, giving them space to say goodbye, but she couldn’t help but watch as they had one of their wordless conversations, nudging one another with the backs of their hands. Without warning, Bae slung an arm around Rum’s neck, wrestling him to ground, where the two scuffled and fought like a pair of children.

Once they were done, Bae turned to her, and she honestly believed that he was smiling.

“Thank you,” she said, kissing his leathery cheek. “For everything.”

But that wasn’t quite enough for Bae, and she found herself dragged to the ground the same as Rum, scattering the little ones.

It probably should have hurt, but the longer she was… _with_ Rum, the stronger she felt. It wasn’t something they talked about, Belle was far too afraid of letting too many people know, and Rum didn’t seem to like to contemplate it overmuch.

Belle giggled and shoved at him, and when he released her, he gave an apish laugh of his own.

Rum and Bae exchanged one more long look that said more than words could ever say, and then Bae reared back, banging his chest before leading the way into the jungle.

Austin and Juliette’s mother softly head-butted Belle as she passed, and Belle took it as a fond farewell.

Austin hesitated, looking back and forth, clearly expecting Belle to follow.

“Go on,” Belle whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ll see you again someday.”

With a sad chirrup, Austin jumped onto his mother’s back, and as quickly as they could appear, they were gone.

“They’ll come back down after the rains pass, won’t they?” Belle asked.

Rum sighed. “Yes.”

“And they’ll come back to visit!”

He shook his head. “Once male leaves family, he does not come back. I will be outsider to Bae.”

Belle frowned. “But before you said…”

“I know,” Rum took her hand, squeezing. “I think Bae not forget me, but traditions will be kept.”

“Traditions,” Belle scoffed. “It’s tradition for the Hadithi to be led by a man. But we’ve broken that by allowing Johari to rule alone. It’s _tradition_ for a father to choose a husband for his daughter,” she turned to loop her arms around Rum’s neck. “And I have well and fully chosen all on my own. Traditions don’t have to mean anything. Surely accepting a human child into the gorilla family broke some kind of tradition.”

Finally, a smile quirked the edges of Rum’s mouth. “It did.”

“Then don’t worry. Bae will come back, maybe with a mate and baby of his own. Back to his Papa.”

Rum tightened his arms around her and brought her closer for a kiss. “How can I say…?”

Belle laughed, knowing what he was asking without him needing to say it. “Hang traditions! I could teach you some more creative curses, but I do hate to sully your mind so.”

Rum chuckled lowly, and the rumble caused heat to settle low in her belly. “Go on…sully me.”

 

 

“Are you ready?”

Belle smiled as she took the arm her father offered. “More than ready, Papa.”

She tried not to look at the tears glistening in his eyes, knowing she would only start to cry even sooner if she did.

“Your mother would be so proud of you, my girl.”

Well that did it. Belle sniffed, refusing to allow tears to ruin the beautiful makeup Ruby had applied. “Do you think she would approve of my choice?”

Maurice chuckled. “Collette didn’t see color, or appearance, or background. She would have met him once, seen the way he looks at you, and embraced him as son right then and there. We didn’t always agree, your mother and I, but one thing I know we were of like mind in was that our Belle would only ever marry for love, to a person who treated her like the princess she is. Your Rum is that person.”

Belle managed to keep the tears at bay as she hugged her father and squeezed her locket at the same time.

When they heard the soft flute music, they went together out of the hut and into the village square. Her eyes found him immediately, and she felt herself gasp at the sight of him in full Hadithi ceremonial garb of a bright, multi-colored robe, with multiple beaded accruements and a leopard skin sash. He had apparently forgone the traditional headdress, but someone had washed, trimmed, and finally de-matted his hair. It was lighter than she ever saw it, and looked far softer. Red beads and a single white feather were laced into the gentle curls.

His skin positively glittered in the setting sunlight, and his eyes when they found her lit up instantly, and Belle could actually feel the love coming off of him in waves.

For her part, despite everything, she was a little girl at heart who grew up in England and had many dreams, so she’d wanted to wear the white dress of European tradition, though the bustles and frills hardly appealed. Instead, Mary Margaret and Ruby went into the city and brought back a long, lacy white wedding shift, that the women in the village added white beads and embroidery to, to make it a little less transparent. It was still see-through in places, and would have been the height of impropriety in London, but she felt like a princess in it.

Her bare arms were painted first with henna in beautiful flowering designs, then traced with a remarkable golden paint that actually shimmered. She saw the moment Rum noticed when the sun hit her, and his smile broadened. Today he would dress like the people who raised her, and she would shine just like him.

Instead of a veil, the woman had put dozens of small braids into her hair, and wove tiny white flowers into the locks where the rest of her hair flowed freely down her back.

At the makeshift altar made with roses and African tulips, Johari stood just behind Rum, and at his left stood Jefferson and David. At the far right, with beaming grins, were Mary Margaret and Ruby.

The words Johari spoke were a mixture of European and Hadithi tradition, but Belle barely heard them, except when she was asked to repeat them.

Rum could see her preoccupation, and the look he was giving her was lovingly amused.

It hardly mattered; this wedding was only a ceremony. A fun celebration to show everyone else what she already knew. Rum was her husband, and she his wife. They told no one of the vows they spoke in the Jungle weeks before. That belonged to them and them alone.

“What is it you say?” Johari asked. “Oh yes, you may kiss your bride…or…er, I suppose you may kiss your groom.”

Belle had leapt into Rum’s arms almost before Johari spoke, covering his mouth with hers in a passionate kiss.

A rise of cheer led into singing, as the Hadithi began to dance.

“Hello, my husband,” Belle said quietly, standing still among the celebration that moved around them.

“Hello, my mate,” Rum said, eyes twinkling. “What now?”

Belle hummed. “Well, we’re supposed to have a great big meal and dance the night away. Which I look forward to, mind you, but what say we steal away for just a moment?”

Rum’s expression turned heated. He hadn’t been happy with their separation the day and night before. Neither had Belle for that matter, but Maurice and David had both put their feet down. “Where will we go?” he asked.

She bit her lip. “Well, actually, I sort of thought we could go swinging. Maybe see if we can find a friend or two?”

The heat in Rum’s eyes didn’t dissipate, but it was overshadowed by something a bit more boyish.

He grabbed her hand and began slowly leading her away from the festivities. “I will teach you. Teach you to swing.”

“And you won’t let me fall?”

“Never. I will be here, Belle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mnyama Part 2 Sneak Peek:
> 
> “And what brings you to Hyde Park this afternoon, Mr. Carrol?” Ruby asked, doing her very best impression of a fluttering debutante, and making Granny glare at her.
> 
> “Just taking the air,” Jefferson said, breathing in deep as if to do just that. “Admiring the beauty of nature…but I must say, now that my eyes have alit upon you, I daresay the flowers have lost their appeal.”
> 
> “Oh brother,” Granny mumbled.
> 
> Ruby curled her lips in to keep from giggling, knowing the two of them would be laughing like fiends over this later on. “How…kind of you to say, Mr. Carrol.”
> 
> Jefferson’s smile morphed briefly from cocky flirt to something softer, something that threatened to take Ruby’s breath away, until a cacophony of shouting caught all of their attention.
> 
> “What the devil is that?” Granny asked.
> 
> “One way to find out,” Jefferson replied, turning on his heel and heading in the direction of the commotion.
> 
> Ruby handed Granny the parasol without looking, and ignored her grandmother’s shouts to wait as she followed closely on Jefferson’s heels at an unladylike sprint.
> 
> “Bloody hell!” Ruby exclaimed when they emerged into the street just in time to be nearly crushed by a runaway wagon, barreling straight for the water.
> 
> Jefferson, having yanked her backward, kept a tight hold on her arm as they followed with the crowd, watching to see what would happen. 
> 
> “God,” he hissed. “There’s a child on that cart!”
> 
> Ruby covered her mouth with her free hand, and shifted her arm in Jefferson’s grip until she had hold of his hand. She could barely stand to watch, but she just had to see if someone would be able to save the boy.
> 
> “We have to do something!” she cried.
> 
> “But what?”
> 
> Movement from above caught their attention, and they both looked up to see what appeared to be a person leap from the building behind them, grab hold of a rope, and swing down right into the cart.
> 
> Ruby pulled Jefferson, using both of their uncommon height to muscle their way through the crowd.
> 
> “Ruby!” Granny shouted. “Wait!”
> 
> Ruby reached back and pulled her grandmother along with her as they made their way to the front of the crowd.
> 
> The boy was safe in the clutches of a man, and he was pulling the wagon to steady ground with just one hand.
> 
> The crowd had fallen completely silent, stunned by what they were all seeing.
> 
> But a cheer lifted up just as the man turned around, and Ruby and Jefferson cried out at the same time;
> 
> “RUM?!”

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! New multi-chapter in the works, folks! Please let me know what you think, and if you'd actually like more of this crazy idea of mine. Lol.


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